SynCell-nExUs Supervisors

Prof. Timon Idema is a theoretical biophysicist with a background in both physics and mathematics. His research encompasses two themes: (1) the shape and dynamics of biological membranes, and their interactions with proteins and the cytoskeleton; and (2) the collective dynamics of cells in colonies and tissues. For both, he combines analytical and simulation methods, in close collaboration with experimentalists. Recently, his group developed MesoMem, a mesoscale membrane simulation framework, capable of simulating processes at the scale of the entire cell. Currently, they are extending this model to include other cellular components and cell-cell interactions.

”We use simulations and simple analytical models to study (artificial) cell division, including division ring formation and contraction, chromosome/DNA segregation, and membrane fission. We combine top-down (discretization of continuous models) and bottom-up (coarse-grained molecular dynamics) techniques, allowing us to study processes from the molecular to the cellular scale, and building models that can integrate the membrane, cytoskeleton, proteins, and DNA in one system. We collaborate closely with experimentalists, both to understand their observations and to guide experimental efforts, identifying promising potential mechanisms for artificial cell division.”

For more information, visit the Idema lab’s webpage.