LAUSR

Over the past two decades, molecular biologists have developed tools to investigate and manipulate cells in an unprecedented and fine-grained manner. Yet fundamental questions about cell behavior, such as how cells perceive and control growth rates, remain unanswered. Terry Hwa, a statistical physicist and a champion of interdisciplinary research at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), thrives on challenges posed by basic questions about life. A key to Hwa’s success is his ability to take a top-down approach: one that views organisms such as Escherichia coli as a whole entity rather than as a sum of its molecular parts. This approach, which combines theoretical modeling with quantitative experimentation, has enabled a predictive understanding of bacterial physiology. Hwa serves as the presidential chair and distinguished professor of physics at UCSD with a joint appointment in the division of biological sciences. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2020. PNAS recently spoke to him about his current research.