Frank Jülicher

In vitro binding energies capture Klf4 occupancy across the human genome

Transcription factors (TFs) regulate gene expression by binding to specific genomic loci determined by DNA sequence. Their sequence specificity is commonly summarized by a consensus binding motif. However, eukaryotic genomes contain billions of low-affinity DNA sequences to which...

Electrohydraulic fields generated by active transport at tissue interfaces

Living cells and tissues can generate complex patterns of electric fields and fluid flows which can play important role in physiology. Both, fields and flows are rooted in ion transport across biological interfaces: cell membranes and epithelial cell layers. Here we develop a uni...

Cell size heterogeneity controls crystallization of the developing fruit fly wing

A fundamental question in biology is to understand how patterns and shapes emerge from the collective interplay of large numbers of cells. Cells forming two-dimensional epithelial tissues behave as active materials that undergo remodeling and spontaneous shape changes. Focusing o...