Physics of Living Systems

Physics of Living Systems

eLife reviews research in which approaches from the physical sciences are used to provide insights into the properties of biological systems and processes. Learn more about what we review and sign up for the latest research.
Illustration by Davide Bonazzi

Latest articles

    1. Cell Biology
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    The titin N2A-MARP signalosome constrains muscle longitudinal hypertrophy in response to stretch

    Robbert van der Pijl, Jochen Gohlke ... Coen Ottenheijm
    Revised
    Reviewed Preprint v2
    Updated
    • Important
    • Solid
    1. Cancer Biology
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Heterotypic interfacial tension between oncogenic and wild-type populations forms the mechanical basis of tissue-specific oncogenesis in epithelia

    Amrapali Datta, Phanindra Dewan ... Medhavi Vishwakarma
    Revised
    Reviewed Preprint v3
    Updated
    • Important
    • Convincing
    1. Ecology
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Cognitive simplicity drives collective route improvements in homing pigeons

    Shoubhik Chandan Banerjee, Fritz A Francisco, Albert B Kao
    A navigational model exploring social learning strategies differing in cognitive complexity in homing pigeons shows that simple averaging sufficiently explains collective route improvements, without requiring cumulative cultural evolution.
    1. Computational and Systems Biology
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    An engineered multi-step differentiation program in Escherichia coli for self-organized spatial patterning

    Emanuele Boni, Hélène Siboulet ... Yolanda Schaerli
    Not revised
    Reviewed Preprint v1
    • Valuable
    • Convincing
    • Incomplete
    1. Cell Biology
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Collective directional memory controls the range of epithelial cell migration

    Helena Canever, Hugo Lachuer ... Nicolas Borghi
    Not revised
    Reviewed Preprint v1
    • Valuable
    • Incomplete
    1. Physics of Living Systems

    Anatomy and mechanics of tsetse fly blood feeding

    Stephan Löwe, Laura Hauf ... Markus Engstler
    Not revised
    Reviewed Preprint v1
    • Fundamental
    • Compelling
    1. Neuroscience
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Nicotine-driven hyperactivation of larval locomotion

    Stephanie Dancausse, Jocelyn Robles ... Mason Klein
    Not revised
    Reviewed Preprint v1
    • Useful
    • Incomplete
    1. Physics of Living Systems

    Universal length fluctuations of actin structures found in cells

    Aldric Rosario, Shane G McInally ... Jane Kondev
    Revised
    Reviewed Preprint v2
    Updated
    • Fundamental
    • Compelling
    1. Cell Biology
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Sarcomere dynamic instability and stochastic heterogeneity drive robust cardiomyocyte contraction

    Daniel Haertter, Lara Hauke ... Christoph F Schmidt
    Revised
    Reviewed Preprint v2
    Updated
    • Important
    • Compelling
    1. Physics of Living Systems

    Collective epithelial migration mediated by the unbinding of hexatic defects

    Dimitrios Krommydas, Livio N Carenza, Luca Giomi
    Theoretical and computational analyses demonstrate that cell intercalation within epithelial cell layers is analogous to the unbinding of topological defects in hexatic liquid crystals, offering a framework for calculating cellular forces and velocities during collective migration.
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Highlights

    1. Genetics and Genomics
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Raman Spectroscopy: Probing the proteome

    Wei-Hsiang Lin, Chia-Liang Cheng
    1. Cell Biology
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Cell Migration: Pump up the volume

    Qin Ni, Sean X Sun
    1. Cell Biology
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Protein Tracking: Everything, everywhere, almost at once

    Jacob Kæstel-Hansen, Nikos S Hatzakis

Senior editors

  1. Felix Campelo
    Pompeu Fabra University, Spain
  2. Aleksandra Walczak
    Ecole Normale Superieure, France
  3. See more editors