GRK 2756:  Cytoskeletal elements of active matter – from molecular interactions to cellular biophysics (CYTAC)

• Subject Area: Statistical Physics, Nonlinear Dynamics, Complex Systems, Soft and Fluid Matter, Biological Physics ; Basic Research in Biology and Medicine
• Term: since 2023
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 449750155

The goal of this research training group (RTG) is to train a generation of young scientists to address problems in active matter physics related to cytoskeletal mechanics, dynamics, and function. This requires the students to understand mesoscopic dynamics of interacting elements from first principles and learn to think across scales. The students should therefore feel fully comfortable in applying quantitative methods to molecular and cellular biophysics in the context of active matter. Both these subfields of biological physics have witnessed great success in the past years. However, they have generally been separated in terms of communities and the reason often lies in the intrinsic separation of scales associated with the transition from single molecules across mesoscopic filaments and membranes to, eventually, cells and tissue. Our goal is to bridge these scales at an early stage of the scientific career path by offering tailored research projects complemented by a specifically designed training program. As the overarching research theme for the RTG we have chosen the cytoskeleton, including its three types of filamentous proteins (actin filaments, microtubules and intermediate filaments), transient connections through passive cross-linkers and active molecular motors, and the enclosing membrane. The cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells is a major player in cell mechanics and orchestrates important biological processes that involve shape changes and stress build-up, such as motility, adhesion, division, tumorigenesis and wound healing. It is thus a prime example of active matter, opening up a wealth of questions in non-equilibrium statistical physics. The research topics offered to the PhD students will comprise aspects from mathematics, physics, physical chemistry and biology, experiment, analytical theory and numerics, and in vitro systems as well as cellular approaches. Our qualification program will combine six key elements: 1) a close supervision by the principal investigators of the RTG via a thesis advisory committee, 2) ample opportunities for high-level scientific discussions, 3) interactive seminars, 4) a tailored course program including hands-on training, 5) training in professional skills in science, and 6) mentoring for improving teaching and communication skills. The students within this RTG will be able to work in a highly international environment, and capable of not only solving challenging science problems but also of transporting the key messages to heterogeneous audiences, such as the biophysics community, the general public or younger students. Given the vivid research environment at Göttingen and the exciting developments in the worldwide biophysics community during recent years, it is timely and essential to now invest in the education of the next generation of scientists, who will be able to bridge the relevant scales in biophysics and will tackle challenging questions concerning non-equilibrium active matter systems.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Participating Institution: Max-Planck-Institut für biophysikalische Chemie; (Karl-Friedrich-Bonhoeffer-Institut) (aufgelöst)
• Spokesperson: Professorin Dr. Sarah Köster
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Timo Betz; Professor Dr. Helmut Grubmüller; Professor Dr. Andreas Janshoff; Professor Dr. Stefan Klumpp; Dr. Péter Lénárt; Professor Dr. Tim Salditt; Dr. Melina Schuh; Professor Dr. Peter Sollich; Professorin Dr. Claudia Steinem; Professorin Dr. Anne Wald