Erwin Frey

1 week ago | nature.com | Henrik Weyer |Laeschkir Würthner |Dongyang Li |Daniel Villarreal |Judy Kim |Erwin Frey

AbstractThe Min protein system prevents abnormal cell division in bacteria by forming oscillatory patterns between cell poles. However, predicting the protein concentrations at which oscillations start and whether cells can maintain them under physiological perturbations remains challenging. Here we show that dynamic pattern formation is robust across a wide range of Min protein levels and variations in the growth physiology using genetically engineered Escherichia coli strains.

1 month ago | nature.com | Jinghui Liu |Tom Burkart |Alexander Ziepke |Erwin Frey

AbstractChemo-mechanical waves play a key role in force generation and long-range signal transmission in cells that dynamically change shape, for example, during cell division or morphogenesis. Reconstituting and controlling such chemically controlled cell deformations is a crucial but unsolved challenge for the development of synthetic cells.

Oct 1, 2024 | biorxiv.org | Henrik Weyer |Florian Gärtner |Erwin Frey |David Muramatsu

AbstractThe thymus is one of the most important organs of the immune system. It is responsible for both the production of T cells and the prevention of their autoimmunity. It comprises two types of tissue: the cortex, where nascent T cells (thymocytes) are generated; and the medulla, embedded within the cortex, where autoreactive thymocytes are eliminated through negative selection.

Sep 27, 2024 | link.aps.org | Tom Burkart |Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München |Benedikt Müller |Erwin Frey

Intracellular protein patterns regulate many vital cellular functions, such as the processing of spatiotemporal information or the control of shape deformations. To do so, pattern-forming systems can be sensitive to the cell geometry by means of coupling the protein dynamics on the cell membrane to dynamics in the cytosol.

Apr 3, 2024 | link.aps.org | Florian Gärtner |Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München |Erwin Frey

synopsisShape Matters in Self-AssemblyPublished 3 April 2024A theoretical study of self-assembly finds that hexagon-shaped building blocks can form large structures faster than triangular or square blocks. See more in PhysicsClick to ExpandPopular Summary In biology and nanotechnology, tiny building blocks can quickly and robustly come together to form complex structures.