Frank Jülicher

Frank Jülicher, MPI-PKS Dresden The main focus of our research are theoretical approaches to understand dynamic processes in cells and tissues. Work on active cellular processes includes the study of cellular oscillations, cellular signaling and the cytoskeletal dynamics during cell division and cell motility. We furthemore study the biophysical basis of hearing. Finally, we investigate the biophysical properties and dynamics of tissues and epithelia. Based on the properties of individual cells and of cellular signaling systems, we are interested in the dynamics of developmental processes, for example wing development in the fruit fly.

We develop algorithms for identifying regulatory pathways and differentially regulated pathways, we search for subnetworks controlling common physiological phenotypes and we device statistical methods for linking molecular phenotypes (such as expression or localization) with physiological phenotypes (such as behavioral changes, learning ability).

The biological questions that we address with these tools include neurogenesis, differentiation of osteoclasts, formation and biogenesis of vesicles (endosomes, lysosomes), and the relationship between genotype and disease susceptibility.