The NSF-Simons Center for Multiscale Cell Fate Research (CMCF) is connecting scientists across mathematical, physical, and biological sciences to usher in a new era of biology. CMCF is one of four NSF-Simons Research Centers for Mathematics of Complex Biological Systems situated across the country, jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and the Simons Foundation.
Cells, the building blocks of life, are complex machines constructed from genetic blueprints that are strongly influenced by their in vivo environment. Recent advances in single cell measurement indicate that cells are more heterogeneous, with vastly more unknown types, than previously recognized, and that cell fate decisions are stochastic, dynamic, and complex. Massive genomic data at the single-cell scale are beginning to reveal new complex genotypes, while live imaging of cells in space shows novel phenotypes and unresolved functions in dynamic environments.
These newly-observed heterogeneities and the associated stochastic transitions are challenging how we define cell fate. Measurements of noise and epigenetic regulation suggest the importance of other previously unexplored layers of complexity driving cell fate decisions. It is increasingly clear that experimental tools alone are insufficient to dissect cell fate, and mathematical, statistical, and computational approaches are becoming indispensable to revealing cell fate: an emergent property arising from complex interactions among biochemical and physical events across temporal and spatial scales within and outside cells.
Questions? Ideas? Contact us: cellfate@uci.edu
Upcoming Events
- CMCF Seminar on Thursday, 11/21/2024, 3-4pm at ISEB 6610 by Dr. David Umulis, Purdue University, “Delineating Mechanisms of Bmp-Mediated Patterning in Embryo and Cochlear Development“
- The Frederic & Julia Wan Distinguished Lecture Series, on Friday, 12/06/2024, 3-4pm at ISEB 1200 by Dr. Mike Shelley, New York University, “Modeling Self-Organization in Active Fluids and Materials”
- The Frederic & Julia Wan Distinguished Lecture Series, on Tuesday, 01/16/2024, 3-4pm at ISEB 1010 by Dr. Wing Wong, Stanford University, “Causal Inference by Encoding Generative Modeling“
News
CMCF is soliciting proposals for Community-Initiated Topical Workshops; providing researchers from Irvine and around SoCal an opportunity to become involved with the center. Contact cellfate@uci.edu for more details.