Self-Organization Across Scales in Physiology and Disease: A WashU–University of Warwick Joint Symposium

• Sarah England, Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Medicine; Director, Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, WashU Medicine

This session addresses how self-organization emerges at the cellular and developmental levels, illuminating the formation of complex patterns and structures during growth and differentiation.

Moderator: Lilianna Solnica-Krezel, Alan A and Edith L Wolff Distinguished Professor, Developmental Biology, WashU Medicine

Speakers:

• Karuna Sampath, Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School (Title: “Investigating membrane and cytoskeletal remodelling during extra-embryonic yolk syncytial layer formation”)
• Erik Griffin, Life Sciences, University of Warwick (Title: “Patterning the cytoplasm of the C. elegans embryo”)
• Thorold Theunissen, Developmental Biology, WashU Medicine (Title: “From the embryo to stem cells and back”)
• Jennifer Wang, Biology, Arts & Sciences, WashU (Title: “Building functional organelles: the centrosome“)

This session highlights how disruptions in self-organization contribute to disease, bringing a translational and pathophysiological perspective to the symposium.

Moderator: Nardhy Gomez-Lopez, Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology & Department of Pathology & Immunology; Associate Director, Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, WashU Medicine

Speakers:

• Erin Greaves, Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School (joining virtually, Title: “Macrophages in endometriosis: from blood to peritoneal niche”)
• Aleksandra Byrska, Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School(Title: “Errors at the start of human life: Harm, adaptation, or both?”)
• Polina Lishko, Cell Biology & Physiology, WashU Medicine (Title: “Building a fertility machine: Self-Organization of the CatSper channel complex“)
• Farners Amargant i Riera, Obstetrics & Gynecology, WashU Medicine (Title: “Mechanical control of follicle development across the lifespan“)

Dr. Nicole Moore will discuss collaboration research funding opportunities during the lunch session.

• Nicole Moore, Senior Director of Research Development, Research Development Office

• Mohan Balasubramanian, Professor, Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School

This session will focus on the latest advances in how molecules self-assemble and drive biological order. It will explore how principles from soft matter physics help decode near and far- from -equilibrium self-organization of biological systems.

Moderator: Mohan Balasubramanian, Professor, Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School

Speakers:

• Ann Dixon, Chemistry, University of Warwick (Title: “Self-organisation in membrane bilayers”)
• Satyajit Mayor, Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School (Title: “Actively-driven functional organization of membrane components in the plasma membrane of living cells”)
• Rohit Pappu, Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, WashU (Title: “Hierarchical organization defines biomolecular condensates“)
• Xuehua Zhong, Biology, Arts & Sciences, WashU (Title: “Linking biomolecular condensates with nutrient signaling and epigenome dynamics”)

This session will discuss diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to identify physiological and pathophysiological self-organization bringing scientific and clinical insights for the symposium participants.

Moderator: Nardhy Gomez-Lopez, Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology & Department of Pathology & Immunology; Associate Director, Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, WashU Medicine

Speakers:

• Jan Brosens, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Warwick Medical School (joining virtually, Title: “Endometrial decidual reaction in reproductive failure.”)
• Yong Wang, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Radiology, and Biomedical Engineering, WashU Medicine(Title: “Self-organization of the uterus: From molecular rules to clinical order”)
• Nathaniel Huebsch, Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, WashU (Title: “Tissue-engineered models of proteostasis-linked cardiomyopathy“)

Speakers:

• Chelsea Brown, Chemistry, University of Warwick (Title: “Molecular dynamics of membrane remodelling”)
• Ishutesh Jain, Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School (Title: “What generates hydrostatic pressure in cells? Rethinking the small solute paradigm“)
• Shweta Bhagwat, Obstetrics & Gynecology, WashU Medicine (Title: “From dysbiosis to infertility: How bacterial vaginosis toxins disrupt sperm function”)
• Yifan Dai, Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, WashU (Title: “The electrochemical functions of biomolecular condensates”)
• Juan Ferreira, Obstetrics & Gynecology, WashU Medicine (Title: “From uterine quiescence to milk ejection: Conserved control of reproductive tissue contractility by the SLO2.1 potassium channel”)
• Nicole Gilbert, Molecular Microbiology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, WashU Medicine (Title: “Host-microbe antagonism and synergy in the female urogenital tract”)
• Alex Holehouse, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, WashU Medicine (Title: “Learning the co-evolution of folded and disordered regions”)
• Shankar Mukherji, Physics, Arts & Sciences, WashU (Title: “Flutuations and order in systems-level organelle biogenesis“)
• Kiersten Ruff, Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, WashU (Title: “Decoding sequence-function relationships using molecular grammars of IDRs”)
• Kristine Wylie, Pediatrics, WashU Medicine (Title: “The relationship between virome and host during pregnancy“)
• Erica Biven, Biology, Arts & Sciences, WashU (Title: “Self-organization of centriole stability”)