Laeschkir Würthner
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lwuerthner.bsky.social
Laeschkir Würthner
@lwuerthner.bsky.social
Postdoctoral researcher at EMBL Heidelberg (Graf group) | PhD in theoretical biophysics (LMU Munich with Erwin Frey)
Reposted by Laeschkir Würthner
One more week to apply for this exciting symposium on collective behaviour 👇👇👇
Abstract deadline extension alert! 🚨 You now have until 25 November to submit your abstract and be one of 22 selected short talk speakers for #EESCollectivity ➡️ s.embl.org/ees26-01-bl

Explore how collective behaviours arise from fundamental principles across biological systems. 🦠🐒🧬
November 19, 2025 at 9:03 AM
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Only a few days left for abstract submission at the brand new EMBO|EMBL Symposium Collectivity in living systems: emergence, function and evolution. We have stellar speakers in cell, animal collectives & beyond @priscaliberali.bsky.social @icouzin.bsky.social @ricardsole.bsky.social

Join us!
November 7, 2025 at 8:42 AM
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✨ Back from summer break with 2 great DB seminars @embl.org! Andrew Hogan (van Gestel group) on protist predation defences & Simon Knoblich (Aulehla group) on calcium waves in Medaka gastrulation. Exciting research happening in the DB unit 🔥 #DevelopmentalBiology
September 24, 2025 at 8:59 AM
If you are interested in theory at the intersection of physics and biology, this is your chance! Andriy is a very nice and creative scientist, I can highly recommend joining his group.
(1/3) I am setting up shop and will be hiring #PostDocs & #PhD students to join my independent theory group at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (@helmholtzhzi.bsky.social‬) and the Lower Saxony Center for AI and Causal Methods in Medicine.
September 20, 2025 at 9:41 AM
New preprint:
We use computational modeling and theory to study cell migration in fibrous porous media – the characteristic structure of the ECM. Our work reveals transient cell motility modes and 'porotaxis' – directed motion due to spatial heterogeneities in confinement. doi.org/10.1101/2025...
September 19, 2025 at 12:52 PM
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Please allow me to introduce... our new preprint 🎉 Together with Michael Zhao, Anna Erzberger and Alexander Aulehla, we investigate pattern formation due to aggregation in confined systems.

You can find it at arxiv.org/abs/2509.08533

@michaelzhao.bsky.social @erzbergerlab.bsky.social
September 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
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We're looking for highly motivated candidates for PhD positions in the physics of living systems.

Our group uses theoretical physics to understand how cells collectively self-organize.

If you're interested, get in touch & check out the Biozentrum PhD Fellowship program, deadline October 12th!
September 15, 2025 at 10:04 AM
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Congratulations, Michael Dorrity and Anna Erzberger!

The two EMBL Heidelberg group leaders have received ERC Starting Grants that will enable ambitious projects related to developmental timing and tissue self-organisation, respectively.

Learn more: www.embl.org/news/awards-...
September 4, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells manipulate their microenvironment for survival. Using a 3D bone marrow model, we show that CLL cells accumulate at the core, reprogram stromal cells to generate a pro-tumor environment, and exploit other (healthy) cells as a 'shield'. doi.org/10.1002/hem3...
3D Tumor microenvironment interaction reveals AP‐1 complex regulation and contact‐mediated reprogramming of bone marrow stromal cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells actively reprogram their tumor microenvironment (TME) to promote drug resistance and tumor progression. Tumor cell survival critically depends on heterotypic ....
doi.org
August 14, 2025 at 12:13 PM
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It's been a busy month at the DB unit at EMBL #PhDdefence Simona Gioe', from the Aulehla group, successfully defended her PhD thesis, which was titled 'Investigating the functional role of oscillatory signalling via experimental entrainment of the somite segmentation clock'. Congrats, Simona 🥳🎓
August 1, 2025 at 1:52 PM
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Happy to share that I defended my PhD this week!
✨✨It has been an amazing adventure full of learning, great science and incredible people here at @embl.org!✨✨
Looking forward to the next steps in my scientific journey
🔬🐟💛
If you haven't yet, check the preprint of my PhD research: bit.ly/45eBxOg
🎓Congratulations to Camilla Autorino, from the Petridou group @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social @embl.org who has just defended her PhD thesis titled 'A closed feedback between tissue phase transitions and morphogen gradients drives patterning dynamics in the zebrafish embryo' #DevelopmentalBiology
July 31, 2025 at 10:00 AM
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✨ In this week's DB unit seminar, Michael Zhao, a postdoc in the Aulhela group, shared insights on how he uses a combination of experimental data and theoretical models to study patterning and collective behaviour in the presomitic mesoderm #Patterning #CollectiveBehavior #Mesoderm
July 25, 2025 at 12:17 PM
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We cannot believe the DB unit summer school "Transitions in developing systems: from theory to experiments" has already come to an end. A huge thank you to all the organisers, speakers, and trainers for making it such an exciting and inspiring course #EMBLDevBio @dev-journal.bsky.social
July 9, 2025 at 8:04 PM
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That's a wrap for #EMBLDevBio! 🧫🧬 Over the last eight days, our participants received hands-on training using state-of-the-art methods applied in different model systems.

Thank you to everyone who made this course special, especially our participants, speakers, trainers, and organisers! 👏
July 10, 2025 at 1:56 PM
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At the DB Unit Summer School, it's already time for Practical 1!
Participants are exploring the theory of phase transitions, critical points, and bifurcations with James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social and Isabella Graf @isabellagraf.bsky.social and her group members @lwuerthner.bsky.social
July 2, 2025 at 3:12 PM
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The four days of "Theory and concepts in biology" finish with a round table discussion on biology's biggest challenges. Some common themes emerged: how to deal with biological complexity? How to understand levels of organization? Which features make life unique? #EESTCBio @events.embl.org
May 9, 2025 at 9:29 AM
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We can't believe #EESTCBio is over! 😱

Thank you to the organisers, speakers, and participants for creating such a vibrant space for critical thinking. It was a joy to see you exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and explore new perspectives 💡

We hope to see you again at the next edition! 👋
May 9, 2025 at 11:45 AM
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Group discussions are underway here at #EESTCBio 🧬🦬📖 We’re excited to hear all the brilliant ideas you’ll present tomorrow!
May 8, 2025 at 2:07 PM
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New in Nature Physics! In a great collaboration with @junlab.bsky.social and my students Henrik Weyer & @lwuerthner.bsky.social, we show how Min proteins in E. coli self-organize into robust, efficient patterns ensuring accurate cell division across conditions.
📄 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
May 6, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Theory and concepts in biology www.embl.org/about/info/c...
Theory and concepts in biology
www.embl.org
May 6, 2025 at 1:02 PM
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Our paper on the E. coli Min system in vivo with @physicsoflifelmu.bsky.social & Judy Kim (UCSD) has been published in Nature Physics today. Tight integration of experiment and theory, and physiology and biophysics. Incredible perseverance of our young students. rdcu.be/ekIpO
Robust and resource-optimal dynamic pattern formation of Min proteins in vivo
Nature Physics - Oscillatory Min protein patterns prevent abnormal bacterial cell division. Now it is shown that Min pattern formation is resource efficient and involves wavelength-invariant...
rdcu.be
May 5, 2025 at 2:53 PM
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Welcome, Laeschkir! :) Looking forward to doing science together!
Welcome to the DB unit, Laeschkir Würthner @lwuerthner.bsky.social! Laeschkir is a scientific officer in the Graf group @isabellagraf.bsky.social. He will use concepts from the Physic of Life Theory to better understand self-organisation in biological systems under changing environmental conditions.
April 4, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Many thanks to everyone at EMBL and especially to the DB unit for the warm welcome. I am looking forward to the exciting scientific journey ahead!
Welcome to the DB unit, Laeschkir Würthner @lwuerthner.bsky.social! Laeschkir is a scientific officer in the Graf group @isabellagraf.bsky.social. He will use concepts from the Physic of Life Theory to better understand self-organisation in biological systems under changing environmental conditions.
April 4, 2025 at 2:39 PM
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We are organizing a conference for young researchers at the intersection between physics & biology: www.embl.org/about/info/c... @embl.org @events.embl.org @intcha.bsky.social
Please consider applying/registering -- the deadline is already in one week!
March 24, 2025 at 2:35 PM
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Really cool conference! Abstract submission for IntCha25 deadline: March 31st, 2025
March 24, 2025 at 5:43 PM