Dresden 2020 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 40: Systems Biology, Evolution and Neural Networks II

BP 40.7: Talk

Friday, March 20, 2020, 11:30–11:45, ZEU 250

Testing developmental reaction-transport models by physical perturbations — •Moritz Kreysing — Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany

From Alan Turing we know that rates of biochemical reactions (in units of seconds) need to be coupled to physical processes to account for the generation of spatial structure (in units of meters) in biology. Suggested morphogenetic driving forces include: passive or active diffusion, directed motor-driven fluxes, and the enigma of cytoplasmic streaming. Since Turing, a great deal of causal insight into the biochemical basis of cellular organization and morphogenesis has been attained by genetic perturbations. In stark contrast to this, the functional role of physical transport in morphogenesis and homeostasis remains very poorly understood. Specifically, we lack the ability to test the functional role of these physical processes inside cells by appropriate perturbations, i.e.: how would one change direction, velocity or temporal persistence of flows within the cytoplasm of a developing embryo? This is clearly not possible by genetics. As a result of this methodological shortcoming, there is hardly one accepted proof of a reaction-transport system in biology. It is now time for experimental biophysics to catch up with molecular biologists and to test great quantitative models of patterning and morphogenesis. I will discuss challenges to test especially reaction-transport systems, while emphasizing chances to interactively guide early organism development via suitable physical perturbations.

Reference: M. Kreysing, Developmental Cell 51, 135-144 (2019)