Erwin Frey
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Munich, Germany
Erwin Frey holds the Chair of Statistical and Biological Physics at LMU München. A theoretical physicist at the interface of physics and biology, he is internationally recognised for the nonequilibrium statistical physics of living matter. His group pioneered the theory of mass-conserving
reaction–diffusion systems, showing how proteins like the Min system sense cell geometry and self-organise to position cell division, and how mechanochemical feedback reshapes membranes and propels liposomes. His work on active matter, self-assembly, and information processing in living systems develops principles behind life-like behaviour. He holds an ERC Advanced Grant and received the 2024 Max Planck Medal.
The Frey group develops the theoretical foundations of synthetic cells and information processing in living systems. Building on our work on the bacterial Min system, we have
established a predictive framework (mass-conserving reaction–diffusion theory) for how proteins sense cell geometry, self-organise into patterns, and position the division machinery. We extend this to mechanochemical coupling on deformable membranes, which explains shape control and self-propulsion in liposomes, to signalling that enables collective sensing and control, and to design principles for non-equilibrium self-assembly. Within SynCell-nExUs
we aim to turn these principles into blueprints for synthetic cells that organise, divide, and process information.
For more information, visit the Frey Group website
| Main area(s) | Sub-area(s) |
|---|---|
| Synthetic cell division and replication | Minimal contractile cytoskeletons and division rings Artificial motility systems Lipid bilayer fission mechanisms Artificial nucleoid occlusion systems |
| Information processing and evolution of synthetic cells | Synthetic signaling Design of minimal multicellular systems Non-equilibrium self-assembly |