Cell shape-shifting across the tree of life

Cells are exquisite self-organised materials that shape-shift to fulfil many of their functions, such as moving, dividing, connecting with partners, or exchanging material. Today, I will discuss our research on the computational modelling of cell self-organisation and shape-shifting across the tree of life, carried out in close collaboration with living and synthetic cell experiments. I will first focus on cell division across different stages of evolution. I will then turn to cell reshaping driven by chemical exchanges with the environment, in the context of the evolution of complex cells. More broadly, I will show how modelling can help us understand the emergence of life from its building blocks and guide the design of artificial structures that mimic life at the nanoscale.