Cell size and precision control in bacteria
Growth and cell size are fundamental physiological properties of cells. In the 1950s and 1960s, key correlations between these properties were observed at the population level. Over the past decade, the field has revisited this issue, focusing on how individual cells maintain their size homeostatically. Specifically, how does a cell return to its target size after a perturbation? In this talk, I will address this question within the framework of precision control in biology, introducing the phenomenology of the "adder" principle and its mechanistic underpinnings. I will also discuss an evolutionary perspective and outline major future research directions, all while highlighting the connections between biological and physical principles.
Biography: Suckjoon Jun was trained as a theoretical physicist and began his laboratory work as a Bauer Fellow at Harvard University in 2007. It was there that he transitioned to experimental quantitative biology. In 2012, he relocated his lab to UCSD, significantly contributing to the institution's reputation as a leading force in quantitative biology. His accolades include being named an Allen Distinguished Investigator (2013), a Pew Scholar (2013), and a Scialog Fellow (2015). Furthermore, he has been honored with the NSF CAREER award (2013), the Lattimer Award (2019), and the Michael and Kate Bárány Award from the Biophysical Society (2022).
Irene Giardina