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David Brückner

@davidbrueckner.bsky.social

540 followers 400 following 56 posts

Assistant Professor @biozentrum.unibas.ch • Theoretical biophysics • Postdoc ISTAustria, PhD LMU Munich, MSc Cambridge University www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/brueckner

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David Brückner @davidbrueckner.bsky.social · Sep 4

Super excited that our group will be supported by an ERC Starting Grant!

In project "InfoFate" we will study how cells use information in dynamical, neighborhood & mechanical signals to make decisions.

We'll have PhD and Postdoc positions available, please get in touch if interested!

Biozentrum, University of Basel @biozentrum.unibas.ch · Sep 4

Why do some cells become neurons and others muscle?
Physicist Prof. David Brückner @davidbrueckner.bsky.social @biozentrum.unibas.ch @unibas.ch receives a prestigious #ERCStartingGrant to uncover how cells make life-shaping decisions. @erc.europa.eu
www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/news/detail/...

ERC Starting Grant for Physicist David Brückner

How do cells decide which role to take on in the body? Prof. David Brückner from the Biozentrum of the University of Basel is investigating this and similar questions. Over the next five years, a Star...

www.biozentrum.unibas.ch

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Thomas Lecuit @thomaslecuit.bsky.social · 1d

Pleasure to announce the program of my new series of lectures at the College de France in Nov-Dec. Continuing on the theme of Biological information. I will focus on the computational aspects, building on David Marr's tri-level of analysis in biological systems. YouTube link sent when it starts.

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Robin Journot 🔬| 🎾 @robinjournot.bsky.social · 1d

Our paper is on the cover of @cp-devcell.bsky.social . Image: embryonic murine salivary-gland explants stained for fate determinants; p63 (cyan) and HES1 (yellow). Thanks to everyone involved.
doi.org/10.1016/j.de...

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David Brückner @davidbrueckner.bsky.social · 4d

Had a lot of fun at our first group retreat in Graubünden🇨🇭🏔️🌄

Reposted by David Brückner

Barriga Lab @eliasbarrigalab.bsky.social · 5d

New Review! #devbiol #bioelectricity #CellBiology #tissueregeneration

In our new @annualreviews.bsky.social piece, we explore how bioelectricity is generated, sensed & translated into responses that sculpt tissues, guide growth & enable tissue regeneration.

www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...

Bioelectricity in Morphogenesis

Bioelectricity is likely as old as life itself. From the moment the first proto-cell was enclosed in a lipid bilayer, a membrane potential arose. Thus, one can expect that bioelectrical activities inf...

www.annualreviews.org

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Reposted by David Brückner

Ricard Alert Zenón @ricardalert.bsky.social · 6d

New job, new preprint! We found that embryo implantation can be understood as active wetting! Embryos from older mothers have trouble implanting because they are too contractile and viscous. Check out the wonderful thread (and movies!) by @katecavanaugh.bsky.social.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Reposted by David Brückner

Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics @mpi-cbg.de · 6d

Are you interested in a PhD in the area of "Mechanisms of translational control during embryogenesis?" Apply now for a PhD @mpi-cbg.de! Overview of all participating RGLs: imprs.mpi-cbg.de/5761/researc...

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Ankita Jha @ankita13jha.bsky.social · 9d

If anyone ever wants to brush up on a lot of cell migration concepts don't forget we have several wonderful scientists who have given talks previously in cell migration seminars. I find it so comforting to go look at old videos, maybe someone else who will do as well!!
youtube.com/@cellmigrati...

Cell Migration Seminars

Cell Migration Seminars every Tuesday at 16:00 BST.

youtube.com

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David Brückner @davidbrueckner.bsky.social · 8d

Come join us in Basel! @biozentrum.unibas.ch is an amazing place to start your group.

Biozentrum, University of Basel @biozentrum.unibas.ch · 9d

Assistant/Associate Professor in Structural Biology, Biophysics or Biological Imaging

www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/open-positio...

#biozentrum #University #Basel #Professor #Structural #Biology #Biophysics #Biological #Imaging

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Reposted by David Brückner

Noah Ziethen @nziethen.bsky.social · 9d

New preprint 🎉
What began as Frieder Johannsen’s bachelor thesis in the @zwickergroup.bsky.social (which I had the pleasure to supervise) evolved into our latest paper: “Chemically Active Liquid Bridges Generate Repulsive Forces” — unlike passive ones, which attract.
📄 arxiv.org/abs/2509.18777

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Silvia Fre lab @frelab.bsky.social · 9d

So proud of the exciting story from my PhD student Jakub Sumbal on contractile fibroblasts shaping branching morphogenesis!
Fantastic collaboration with the lab of Zuzana Koledova in Prague!
@sumbalovakoledova.bsky.social

It just came out online, check it out here:
rdcu.be/eIIKD

Contractile fibroblasts form a transient niche for the branching mammary epithelium

Nature Communications - Fibroblasts represent a heterogenous cell population but how their differences reflect their plasticity and origin is not fully understood. Here, the authors map the origin...

rdcu.be

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Reposted by David Brückner

Jacob (Yaqub) Hanna - يعقوب حنا @jacob-hanna.bsky.social · 10d

EEE meeting is BACK! Early Embryogenesis & Epigenetics conference in Berlin 02/2026.
Checkout great program and over 12 slots for (not so) short talks for submitted abstracts!. Early registration now open -
w.molgen.mpg.de/embryo2026

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Reposted by David Brückner

Edouard Hannezo @ehannezo.bsky.social · 12d

Now out in final published form - with a new title "Mechanical control of cell fate decisions in the skin epidermis" and simulations/quantifications! See below for thread of how unbalanced tensions can bias fate choices in minimal 3D models of tissues! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Edouard Hannezo @ehannezo.bsky.social · Dec 17

Happy to share the latest work from Preeti Sahu, with Adriana Sanchez-Danes on the biomechanics of cell fate choices during tumor initiation! We implement/test a 3D vertex model with proliferation and fate choices for multilayered tissues! See 🧵 below (1/n) bit.ly/3ZXxJzk

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Reposted by David Brückner

Isabela Corina Fortunato, PhD @icfortunato.bsky.social · 11d

Happy to share that my PhD has finally taken the shape of a paper! ✨

Huge thanks to all authors, especially @davidbrueckner.bsky.social & @ehannezo.bsky.social for leading the modeling and @raimonsunyer.bsky.social & @xaviertrepat.bsky.social for their invaluable supervision.

🧵👇

David Brückner @davidbrueckner.bsky.social · 11d

How do cells navigate up gradients of adhesive proteins?
🤔

Termed "Haptotaxis", this effect is ubiquitous in cell migration, but it's mechanism was poorly understood

We show that passive friction directs cells & explains complex trajectories on gradients

👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Ben Engel @cellarchlab.com · 12d

Time for a thread!🧵 How different is the molecular organization of thylakoids in “higher” plants🌱? To find out, we teamed up with @profmattjohnson.bsky.social to dive into spinach chloroplasts with #CryoET ❄️🔬. Curious? ..Read on!

#TeamTomo #PlantScience 🧪 🧶🧬 🌾
elifesciences.org/articles/105...
1/🧵

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 12d

I am super excited to announce that we have a tenure-track faculty position in biophysics open in the Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon! 🧪

Interfolio link: apply.interfolio.com/174360

PLEASE, share widely across the blue skies!

Let me briefly explain what we're looking for:

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Tenure-track Position in Biophysics at Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Physics

Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Open Date: Sep 19, 2025

Description
The Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in biophysics. The appointment is intended to be at the Assistant Professor level, but exceptional candidates at a higher level may also be considered. We seek outstanding candidates with a strong record in cellular and subcellular biophysics. Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to, uncovering how key characteristics of living systems arise from the interplay between supramolecular cellular structures, how the emergent cellular circuitry defines goals and enables robust decision making, and how metabolic resources are allocated. This encompasses understanding of how information is learned, stored, transduced, and processed across subcellular structures. Applicants with theoretical, data science, or experimental backgrounds within biological physics are encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate will strengthen and extend research programs of current biophysics faculty in the Department of Physics and collaborate with broader life science activities across many departments at CMU and the wider Pittsburgh area.

More details on Interfolio: https://apply.interfolio.com/174360

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David Brückner @davidbrueckner.bsky.social · 11d

This was super fun collaboration with @xaviertrepat.bsky.social, @raimonsunyer.bsky.social, @ehannezo.bsky.social with experiments led by @icfortunato.bsky.social.

@biozentrum.unibas.ch @istaresearch.bsky.social

David Brückner @davidbrueckner.bsky.social · 11d

Also check out the News & Views by Alex Mogilner & Mariya Savinov: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Simple cell motility on adhesive gradients - Nature Physics

Haptotaxis — a mechanism of sensing adhesive gradients by motile cells — was thought to rely on complex mechanochemistry. It turns out that this mechanism is simply based on the difference of adhesive friction at cell front and rear.

www.nature.com

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David Brückner @davidbrueckner.bsky.social · 11d

This coupling of frictional gradient sensing with persistent polarity dynamics leads to complex migration trajectories on 2D gradients

Together, this demonstrates that haptotaxis is more than linear motion to the top of the hill: complex, nontrivial behavior can emerge without complex regulation

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David Brückner @davidbrueckner.bsky.social · 11d

Simulations of this model with just 3 parameters quantitatively capture the experimental statistics

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David Brückner @davidbrueckner.bsky.social · 11d

Theoretically, we show that more adhesions at the front vs back lead to differential friction & thus more effective clutching of actin flow to the substrate

Yet persistent polarity dynamics drive the cell down the gradient - leading to anti-haptotactic phases

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David Brückner @davidbrueckner.bsky.social · 11d

Experimentally, led by @icfortunato.bsky.social, we find that cells typically migrate up gradients (haptotaxis), but interestingly continue past the maximum of protein density, leading to anti-haptotactic migration down the gradient.

Why would that happen?

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David Brückner @davidbrueckner.bsky.social · 11d

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Max-Planck-Gesellschaft @maxplanck.de · 23d

Early-career researchers: want to run your own lab? 🌟Max Planck Research Groups offer 6+ years, up to €2.7M in funding, open-topic freedom, team support & tenure-track opportunities. Intrigued? 😃Apply by Oct 14, 2025! www.mpg.de/max-planck-r...

Graphic with a blue background and light green dots. The text 'call for applications' appears in green, and 'Ausschreibung' in white. A white arrow on the right points diagonally upward.

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Luca Giorgetti lab @FMI @lucagiorgetti.bsky.social · 13d

Really excited to share our latest work led by @mattiaubertini.bsky.social and @nesslfy.bsky.social: we report that cohesin loop extrusion creates rare but long-lived encounters between genomic sequences which underlie efficient enhancer-promoter communication.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A🧵👇

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Levayer Lab @levayerr.bsky.social · 19d

We only had a very minor contribution to this story with Alexis, but definitly worth a reading for those interested by patterning, precision and refinment. Nice combining of quantitative live imaging, modeling and optogenetics to dissect vein patterning dynamics
www.cell.com/developmenta...

Signaling-dependent refinement of cell fate choice during tissue remodeling in Drosophila pupal wings

Herszterg et al. show that during morphogenesis of the Drosophila pupal wing, a wave of Notch signaling activity updates cell fates to ensure robust and precise patterning of wing veins.

www.cell.com

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