Theory of
Living Matter
We study the physics of cellular organization — how cells divide, move, and coordinate. Using analytical and computational methods, we bridge microscopic molecular interactions with large-scale biological phenomena.
Research Areas
Our work spans four interconnected themes in theoretical and computational biophysics.
Cytoskeletal Networks
The cytoskeleton is an active material driven out of equilibrium by molecular motors. We develop frameworks connecting microscopic interaction rules to the large-scale physical properties that enable cell shape changes and motility.
Learn more →Spindle Ultra-Structures
Cell division requires the faithful segregation of chromosomes. We integrate light microscopy with electron tomography data to understand the physics of mitotic and meiotic spindles at unprecedented resolution.
Learn more →Centrosome Physics
The centrosome organizes the microtubule cytoskeleton and anchors the mitotic spindle. We study how it grows, what forces that growth generates, and how those forces shape cell division.
Learn more →Synchronization in Living Materials
Molecular motors convert chemical energy into mechanical work. We investigate how they coordinate across biological scales — from individual proteins to beating cilia that pump fluid through tissues.
Learn more →Selected Publications
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Three types of actomyosin rings within a common cytoplasm exhibit distinct modes of contractilityMolecular Biology of the Cell, 2025
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Spontaneous phase coordination and fluid pumping in model ciliary carpetsProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2022
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How Cross-Link Numbers Shape the Large-Scale Physics of Cytoskeletal MaterialsPhysical Review Letters, 2022
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A multiscale biophysical model gives quantized metachronal waves in a lattice of beating ciliaProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2022
News
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New work by Cédrik Barutel and Sebastian Fürthauer presents a unified theoretical framework using nonequilibrium thermodynamics to decompose crosslinker forces into entropic, active, and frictional contributions — now on arXiv.
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Collaborative work with Alexander Dammermann's group (Max Perutz Labs) shows centrosomes undergo a cell-cycle-dependent mechanical softening that facilitates spindle formation.
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New work from the group on conserved phase-separating nucleators in self-straining cytoskeletal networks — now on arXiv.
The Team
A diverse group of physicists and biophysicists at TU Wien's Institute for Applied Physics.
Join the Group
We are looking for motivated researchers with a background in theoretical physics, computational biology, or related fields. Our group offers an open, collaborative environment at the intersection of physics and biology.
Interested? Send a CV and a short statement of research interests to sebastian.fuerthauer@tuwien.ac.at.