Browse our latest Physics of Living Systems articles

Mechanical instabilities are shown to underlie the development of bacterial biofilm morphology, suggesting an ancient origin for mechano-morphogenesis, which is known to drive developmental processes in tissues in higher organisms.

A new machine-learning toolbox unveils coevolutionary protein motifs related to structure, function, and phylogeny from sequence information only.

Any effects of environmental 50/60 Hz magnetic fields on human biology due to a radical pair mechanism should be no more dangerous than those incurred by travelling a few kilometres.

A model of efficient coding by olfactory neurons explains context-dependence observed in the effect of perturbations to the olfactory environment.

A model of signalling pathways interacting with proneural gene expression explains the sequential patterning of the largest visual processing centre in the developing Drosophila brain.

Rigorous reanalysis of single-molecule data yields evidence for energy expenditure in the interaction of transcription factors on DNA.

Phase separated DNA-free stored forms of RecA dissolve in response to DNA damage to make RecA available for repair and recombination reactions as part of the bacterial (Escherichia coli) SOS response.

Quantitative single molecule and super resolution imaging in mammalian cells reveal a population of precursor aggregates describable by first order phase transition theory.

Polymers from dietary fiber can control the aggregation of particulates in the murine small intestine in a manner qualitatively consistent with depletion interactions.

During embryonic development, tissue stiffness, which provides an important signal to motile cells, changes locally within tens of minutes in a well-controlled manner.