PoL PhD and Postdoc Seminar

Datum

02.09.2026

Zeit

11:00 - 12:00

Serie

Physics of Life Seminar

Sprache

en

Hauptthema

Biologie

Beschreibung

The Physics of Life (PoL) PhD and Postdoc seminar is a meeting where PoL early career scientists present their research to their peers. All are welcome!

The seminar consists of two short talks by PhD students and/or Postdocs, each followed by a discussion in which speaker and attendants can exchange ideas, engage in scientific discussions and network with their fellow young scientists.

----- The talks:

Kateryna Ivanova ( Brugués Group) – Self-Organized Cytoskeletal Dynamics on Synthetic Membrane Systems

Abstract: Cytokinesis is the process by which a cell divides into two, and it is essential for an organism’s development and maintenance. It depends on the coordinated interplay between microtubules and actin, two highly dynamic cytoskeletal systems that reorganize extensively to drive the cell-shape changes required for successful division. However, the physical and spatial factors that govern actin-microtubule coordination remain poorly understood.

To address this, we use Xenopus laevis egg extracts, which preserve native cytoplasmic complexity while allowing controlled perturbations. We apply these extracts on supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) patterned to match microfabricated substrate designs. This platform enables systematic investigation of how membrane composition and surface geometry influence the interactions driving cytokinesis. Future work will extend the system into 3D to reconstitute cytokinesis in a more lifelike environment.

Yasmin Abdelghaffar ( Friedrich Group) – Morphogenesis of pancreatic ductal networks

Abstract: During embryonic development, the ductal network of the pancreas dramatically remodels itself from a mesh-like plexus to a tree-like branched network optimized for fluid transport.Previous computational work suggested that this network remodeling is guided by local flow (Dahl-Jensen et al. PLoS Biol. 2018), yet the underlying physical mechanism remain ill-defined. In particular, the exact flow sensor is not known, with long primary cilia lining the ductal walls representing a prime candidate.

Together with the Grapin-Botton lab, we investigate this hypothesis of cilia-guided network morphogenesis. We measured the onset of flow in the pancreas during development. Guided by these measurements, we computationally probe putative physical mechanisms of cilia-based flow sensing, and derive experimentally testable signatures, including distinct variants of Murray’s law on the hierarchical organization of duct diameters. By building image analysis pipelines that quantify duct network morphology at subsequent developmental time-points, we test these predictions to reverse-engineer physical mechanisms of network pruning.

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For those who cannot join on site, a Zoom option will be available for internal staff.

Links

• See this event on the Physics of Life website

Letztmalig verändert: 02.09.2026, 07:38:58