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. Developmental Biology
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    A soft active matter models explains spiral epithelial cell migration on in-vivo corneas

    Kaja Kostanjevec, Rastko Sknepnek ... Silke Henkes
    Revised
    Reviewed Preprint v2
    Updated
    • Useful
    • Solid
    1. Computational and Systems Biology
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Out-of-balance Growth Enables Cost-free Synthesis of the Flagellum and Other Proteins in a Single Bacterium

    Mayra Garcia-Alcala, Josiah C Kratz, Philippe Cluzel
    Revised
    Reviewed Preprint v2
    Updated
    • Important
    • Convincing
    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
    Titin-associated muscle ankyrin repeat proteins limit stretch-induced longitudinal muscle hypertrophy and link titin mechanosensing to mTOR signaling.
    1. Chromosomes and Gene Expression
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Preferential formation of NUP98-KDM5A condensates at specific H3K4me3-rich loci drives leukemogenic gene expression

    Augusto Berrocal, Jonathan E Sandoval ... Bo Huang
    Not revised
    Reviewed Preprint v1
    • Important
    • Convincing
    1. Chromosomes and Gene Expression
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Cluster size determines internal structure of transcription factories in human cells

    Massimiliano Semeraro, Giuseppe Negro ... Davide Marenduzzo
    In a polymer model of chromatin that explicitly incorporates different types of transcription factors, both specialised and mixed factories emerge naturally, with their composition governed by their size.
    1. Physics of Living Systems

    Mechanical interaction enables a collective mode of protocell proliferation

    Yisen Li, Yilin Wu
    Not revised
    Reviewed Preprint v1
    • Important
    • Solid
    • Incomplete
    1. Microbiology and Infectious Disease
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Stabilizing by steering: Enhancing bacterial motility by non-uniform diffusiophoresis

    Viet Sang Doan, Ali Nikkhah, Sangwoo Shin
    Not revised
    Reviewed Preprint v1
    • Incomplete
    1. Physics of Living Systems

    Design of a minimal, allosteric, and ATPase-like machine using mechanical linkages

    Tosan Omabegho
    Not revised
    Reviewed Preprint v1
    • Important
    • Compelling
    1. Microbiology and Infectious Disease
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Cooperative antibiotic response in coupled biofilm and planktonic E. faecalis communities

    Gabriela Fernandes Martins, Keanu Alexander Guardiola-Flores ... Kevin Wood
    Not revised
    Reviewed Preprint v1
    • Useful
    • Incomplete
    1. Physics of Living Systems

    Viral commitment to infection depends on host metabolism

    Anastasios Marantos, Kim Sneppen ... Namiko Mitarai
    Revised
    Reviewed Preprint v2
    Updated
    • Valuable
    • Convincing
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Highlights

    1. Physics of Living Systems
    Illustration of tsetse fly mouthparts and extremities. Image credit: Ryan Kissinger (CC BY 4.0)

    The exquisite mechanics of a tsetse bite

    Katelyn Fealy, Álvaro Acosta-Serrano
    1. Physics of Living Systems
    Cell-Matrix Universe. Image credit: Seungkuk Ahn CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    Building bundles by the numbers

    Christian Vanhille-Campos, Anđela Šarić
    1. Genetics and Genomics
    2. Physics of Living Systems

    Raman Spectroscopy: Probing the proteome

    Wei-Hsiang Lin, Chia-Liang Cheng

Senior editors

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