Life without a blueprint: Lessons from frog eggs
Life is more than DNA. Every living cell is a bustling, self-organizing system where countless molecules cooperate without a master plan. In our lab, we explore this mystery by taking frog eggs apart and watching their molecular “soup” come alive again, forming nuclei, dividing, and even building simple cell-like structures. By combining experiments with physical modeling and computer simulations, we uncover some of the hidden rules that let life build itself and adapt to changing environments. Such work forces us to think differently about life’s origins and what it takes for matter to become living.
How can a “soup” of molecules from frog eggs rebuild lifelike cells?Can physics help us predict and even recreate living behavior? Why does life stay robust in a changing world? What can synthetic cells teach us about the origin, and future, of life? Together, we will try to answer to these questions.
Talk by
Lendert Gelens
Lendert received a master’s degree in electrotechnical engineering and physics, from the University of Brussels (VUB). During his PhD, he studied laser dynamics and pattern formation at the applied physics group of Prof. Jan Danckaert at VUB, the IFISC institute in Spain, and the group of Prof. Edgar Knobloch at UC Berkeley in the USA.As a postdoctoral researcher, he moved towards the field of biology, where he worked with Prof. James E. Ferrell at the department of Chemical and Systems Biology of Stanford University, USA. Since 2015, he leads the research group “Dynamics in Biological Systems” at the department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at KU Leuven, where his research explores how complex dynamic processes shape living systems. Outside the lab, Lendert enjoys squash, cycling, running, skiing, and experimenting with food and drinks.
