Biophysics

Gaute Einevoll talks with Tatjana Tchumatchenko about a mechanistic mathematical model of how neurons minimize energy use by deciding whether ion-channel proteins are produced locally in dendrites or in the soma. The model’s predictions agree with experimental findings.

Gaute Einevoll reflects on his academic career and explains his research in mathematical neuroscience, brain physics and neurotechnology. Anniversary solo episode in Norwegian.

Yiota Poirazi discusses dendritic processing and how detailed neuronal models help test explanations of dendritic function.

Michael Hines discusses the development of NEURON and its use in simulating biophysically detailed cells and networks.

Fund collaborative research on electron transfer between biological and synthetic components, including enzyme–electrode interfaces and electroactive microbes. The programme encourages rigorous mechanistic work and integration of data science or AI, rather than development of a specific end product. Consortia of two to four groups may request DKK 30–75 million over six years. A qualifying European lead institution and Danish participation are required. First-stage applications close on 7 October 2026.

Doctoral research in the PERMEATE project on peptide–membrane interactions and lipid nanoparticles for cancer therapy and bacterial-infection treatments. Combine organic synthesis and click chemistry with scattering, surface measurements, spectroscopy and quantitative analysis. The paid appointment lasts three years, with a possible fourth year including other career-development duties. Work is at the Department of Chemistry in Oslo’s Life Science Building; start must be no later than 1 January 2027.

Investigate mitochondrial DNA architecture and function at LNBio/CNPEM in Campinas with Thayna Mendonça Avelino. Combine coherent X-ray diffraction imaging with STED microscopy, develop multimodal imaging strategies and integrate structural and functional measurements. The fellowship starts in November 2026. Submit a CV, motivation letter and recommendation letter to the investigator’s address on the official call by 12 October 2026.

Study microbes confined within synthetic hydrogels in the Engineered Living Materials programme led by Aránzazu del Campo. Combine imaging, microfluidics and molecular biology to understand microbial behaviour under dynamic environmental conditions, collaborating across materials science and synthetic biology. Responsibilities include student supervision and digital research practices. The appointment is initially two years at EG13 TV-L, with hybrid working; part-time arrangements are possible. Applications close on 15 October 2026.

The study tests whether cortex preserves information during sparse-to-dense coding by targeting thalamocortical synapses to dendritic calcium-spike initiation zones, enabling output neurons to multiplex information through a 1-2-3 action-potential syntax. Evidence across long-range pathways suggests that this anatomically and biophysically distinct dendritic nexus may provide a general mechanism for transforming sparse cortical representations into dense output streams.

The American Physical Society's Global Physics Summit, the world's largest annual physics research conference, joining the March Meeting and April Meeting; the 2027 edition is announced for April 11-16, 2027 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The 71st Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, held Saturday, February 20 through Wednesday, February 24, 2027 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA, convening the international biophysics community.

Paul S. Weiss (UCLA) explores low-energy interactions and balanced cycling in natural systems as models for efficient synthetic devices and recycling. Because the relevant energies fall below visible-photon energies, tunnelling spectroscopy and imaging are used to probe these processes. Replicating biochemical cycling and low-energy transport could reduce the energy needed for devices and materials recovery. The work seeks missing physical principles, including spin conservation in chiral molecules and polarizability in biological and synthetic systems. This perspective has led to thermal-control advances in scale, speed and magnitude. Atomic-resolution imaging, spectroscopy and functional measurements help build precise structures while revealing heterogeneous nanoscale behaviour. The talk relates these advances to the physical, electronic, mechanical, thermal and chemical connections between materials and their surroundings that determine future nanomaterial measurements and devices.