This is the homepage of the University of Maryland node of the international Physics of Living Systems (PoLS) student research network. This network brings together faculty and students within the University of Maryland and other PoLS institutes through a variety of student-led activities, workshops and symposia, researcher exchange and short and long-term visits. PoLS research at the Maryland node focuses on theoretical and experimental investigations of cellular and cytoskeletal dynamics, network analysis of intracellular and multicellular signaling and statistical physics of molecular machines within the cell. Both theoretical and experimental biophysics research is conducted by core faculty members and affiliated faculty. The aim of this network is to facilitate interactions and collaborations between scientific groups at UMD and other PoLS institutes.

The NSF Physics of Living Systems program sponsors research by a community of scientists interested in the study of the basic physical principles that underlie biological function and “exploring the most fundamental physical processes that living systems utilize to perform their functions in dynamic and diverse environments.” The aim of PoLS research is to advance our understanding of the living world using principles from physics, while also expanding the boundaries of physics through the study of biological systems.

For more information about the PoLS network across institutions, see the main PoLS website at http://pols.rice.edu/.