Physics of Life
Interdisciplinary research at the interface of physics and biology
Latest News
The Faculty Center Physics of Life will be inaugurated with a Symposium at the Foundation Louis-Jeantet on September 1st.
New paper out: Egoldt C, Velluz MC, Tran J, Aumeier C published a work on Microtubule lattice conformation and integrity regulate α-tubulin acetylation in Communications Biology
Upcoming Events
EMBO Workshop — The cell cycle: exploring conservation and divergence in life's engine
5 Oct 2026 – 7 Oct 2026 · Registration deadline: 1 Sep 2026
Inauguration Symposium
1 Sep 2026 at 09:45
Discover new paradigms for understanding life
We bring fundamental physics to biology, studying how molecules, cells and tissues organize themselves in space and time.
Explore our research ›Team
Our centre brings together people from many backgrounds and career stages, united by curiosity about how life organizes itself.
Principal Investigators
Charlotte Aumeier
Microtubule dynamics, membrane-cytoskeleton interactions, and diatoms.
Luigi Bonacina
Nonlinear biophotonics and advanced optical microscopy for biological imaging.
Enrica Bordignon
EPR spectroscopy and spin labeling to study protein structure and dynamics.
Alessandro De Simone
Morphogenesis, tissue mechanics, and computational modeling of development.
Marcos Gonzalez-Gaitan
Signaling dynamics, endosomal trafficking, and tissue growth control.
Karsten Kruse
Active matter theory, cytoskeletal self-organization, and tissue mechanics.
Emmanuel Levy
Protein self-assembly, phase separation, and evolutionary cell biology.
Sophie Martin
Cell polarity, actin cytoskeleton, and cell-cell fusion in yeast.
Michel Milinkovitch
Computational and evolutionary developmental biology, colour patterning.
Daniel J. G. Pearce
Theory of active matter, collective behaviour, and biological flows.
Aurélien Roux
Membrane mechanics, endocytosis, and membrane-protein interactions.
Guillaume Salbreux
Theory of tissue mechanics, cell shape, and active surfaces.
Staff Scientists
Job offers
PhD position
| Field of research | Renewing active matter |
| Description | Biological active matter typically exhibits continuous addition and removal of its constituents, for example, assembly and disassembly of cytoskeletal filaments or cell proliferation and death. The thesis will investigate the consequences of renewal on the dynamics of topological defects. |
| Application deadline | Applications will be considered until the position is filled |
| Starting date | January 1st, 2027 |
| Contact | Karsten Kruse |