Physics of Complex Biosystems

Research Strategy

The BioQuant research group led by Ulrich Schwarz uses concepts and methods from theoretical physics to develop a systems-level understanding of cell mechanics and adhesion. Such a framework has to integrate the effects of signal transduction, cytoskeletal dynamics, molecular motor activity, adhesion cluster dynamics, and the extracellular matrix. The range of methods employed in our work is rather broad and profits from expertise in statistical physics, continuum mechanics (including elasticity and hydrodynamics), non-linear dynamics (including reaction-diffusion systems and control theory), and stochastic dynamics (including exact stochastic simulations).

Our interest on the cellular level also branches out to the subcellular level (assembly of supra-molecular complexes like myosin II minifilaments, clathrin coats, or viruses) and the multi-cellular context (cell monolayers, organoids, collective migration). In general, we collaborate closely with experimental groups from cellular biophysics and cell biology, for example in the context of traction force microscopy.