Cells, as physical systems, are discrete, membrane-bound units of biological organization that maintain non-equilibrium thermodynamic states through regulated exchanges of matter and energy with their environment. They comprise structurally organized macromolecular assemblies—primarily lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates—partitioned into distinct compartments (e.g., cytosol, organelles) that support specialized biochemical networks. These systems exhibit emergent properties such as signal processing, self-replication, and adaptive response, governed by gene expression programs and biophysical constraints. At multiple scales, cells function as fundamental units of structure and function in organisms, integrating mechanical, chemical, and electrical processes within a dynamically regulated spatial architecture.
A team led by bioengineers at the University of California San Diego has developed a genome-scale reference map that details how individual genes control the functions and identities of human stem cells. This open-access ...
Biotechnology
Jul 13, 2026
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Nature is beautiful, powerful and essential. But nature is not always gentle. The same biological world that gives rise to forests, coral reefs and human life also produces infections, cancer, genetic disease, crop blights ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 12, 2026
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In a new study, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have resolved a longstanding mystery by showing how epithelial tissues exhibit slow-moving, glass-like behavior despite their fast-paced biological activity. ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 9, 2026
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An international team, including the University of Tokyo, has created a sensor inspired by the lateral line in fish—their "sixth sense" organ—which measures the pulse of lab-grown 3D heart tissue (cardiac organoids). The ...
Biotechnology
Jul 5, 2026
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While many of life's mysteries remain unsolved, every biologist can describe the basic processes performed by a living organism, including energy use, reproduction, growth and development. While these characteristics can ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 1, 2026
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A decade ago this summer, at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Jocelyn Malamy watched jellyfish cells "walk" toward each other to close a wound for the first time. An associate professor of molecular genetics and cell biology ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 30, 2026
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Researchers have developed a way to program human cells to perform calculations and make autonomous decisions, similar to how computer chips work.
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 30, 2026
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121
One of the most striking biological transitions in nature happens early in development, when an embryo transforms from a simple ball of cells into a highly ordered structure with distinct tissue layers that later develop ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 30, 2026
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Cells can spontaneously change shape even without external signals, but the underlying mechanisms behind this form of self-organization have remained unclear. Now, researchers from Japan have discovered self-propelled treadmilling ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 25, 2026
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Multicellular life depends on remarkable acts of cooperation. Every cell in the human body must sense what is happening around it, interpret signals from its neighbors and respond in ways that support the larger tissue. These ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 23, 2026
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