Soft Matter Seminar: Prof. Antun Skanata, Department of Physics, Syracuse University

Prof. Antun Skanata, Department of Physics, Syracuse University

“From molecular mechanisms to ecosystems, and back”

Abstract: Around eighty years of quantitative biology, combined with physical principles, now allow us to probe the details of living systems across many layers of organization. Molecular mechanisms, which regulate cellular expression levels, provide a rich field to study how cells respond to environmental stress and regulate their growth in changing environments. The dynamics of cellular populations outline the principles by which these mechanisms are selected and maintained. More complex ecological structures anchor multi-species interactions that can reshape the evolutionary landscape to include stable coexistence. However, each isolated layer carries its own set of rules; their application oftentimes leads to contradictory phenomena. In this talk I will discuss some of my recent and ongoing research that ties together the physics of living systems across different layers of complexity.