Cellular and Multicellular Dynamics

Unravelling the impact of variation to understand responses at the cellular and multicellular levels

EMBL will aim to unravel the impact of genetic and environmental variation in living systems and to understand responses at the single- cell and multicellular levels.

EMBL will use novel experimental strategies, cutting-edge technology development, and predictive computer modelling to measure and perturb dynamic living systems and their interplay with the environment. Increasing knowledge about the robustness and plasticity of embryonic cell clusters, bioengineered tissues, and model systems will be essential to reveal mechanisms that drive normal life processes, and to understand how these processes respond to disruptive environmental changes.

This Research Theme has four aims:

  • Construct new experimental strategies to reveal the mechanisms by which living systems respond to their environment.
  • Develop new technologies that generate, integrate, and share quantitative dynamic data within relevant molecular, physical, and chemical parameters.
  • Create new technologies that can provide precise perturbations of biological systems and environments
  • Extract correlations and carry out predictive computer modelling of biological processes to most effectively link theory with experimental science. 

“We want to challenge our understanding of how cells and ultimately organisms respond to each other and their environment. By pinpointing the molecular mechanisms that drive cellular dynamics, we hope to understand the world around us on a whole new level.“

image of marine worm Platynereis
The segmented marine worm Platynereis is an important model organism for studying the development and evolution of the nervous system. This picture shows genes expressed in muscle cells (seen in green) and in different neurons in the brain and ventral nerve cord (seen in red, pink and yellow) of the 6 days old larva. Credit: Hernando Martine, Paola Bertucci/EMBL

Key contacts

Alexander Aulehla
Head of Developmental Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg

Jan Ellenberg
Head of Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, Head of EMBL Imaging Centre, EMBL Heidelberg

James Sharpe
Head of EMBL Barcelona, EMBL Barcelona

Research Plans

From exploring the molecular components inside a cell to studying whole populations and ecosystems, EMBL scientists will explore these different scales through eight research themes that foster collaborative, multidisciplinary research.

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EMBL Programme 2022–26: Molecules to Ecosystems

EMBL’s vision is to advance understanding of ecosystems at the molecular level and study life in context. The result will be fundamental research that expands what we know about life on earth and provides the means to address major global challenges.

This new Programme will expand EMBL’s scope to study the molecular basis of life in the context of changing environments, transforming our understanding of life on earth and informing potential solutions for some of society’s biggest challenges, such as irreversible loss of biodiversity, antimicrobial resistance, pollution, climate change, food security, and emergent pathogens.

publication cover for EMBL Porgramme 2022-2026