Connections between physics and metabolism in brain functions
Advances in molecular biology have shaped our understanding of cellular biology. Yet, this molecular-centric approach has overshadowed the role of physical processes governing cellular homeostasis. In genetic disorders, particularly inherited metabolic diseases, phenotypic heterogeneity cannot solely be explained by genetic variants. Mechanical properties of cells and tissues may account for this variability, given the interplay between biological and physical cues in metabolic regulations. In July 2024, we organized an international symposium with world experts in physics, chemistry, and neurobiology to explore the physical regulation of brain metabolism in health and disease. Topics included mechanotransduction in neurodevelopment and brain aging, the physics of neurotransmission and cellular trafficking, and emerging methods to model cellular metabolism, analyze single-cell mechanical and transcriptional signals, and track nanoparticles in intact brain tissue. This effort aims to foster an interdisciplinary framework for neuroscience and train scientists across disciplines, while integrating art to stimulate creativity and integrative thinking.
Authors
- Garcia-Cazorla Angeles
- Marta Sales‐Pardo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8140-6525)
- Leroy Cronin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757)
- Francisco José López-Murcia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0778-4106)
- Stuart R. Hameroff (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1988-5526)
- Laurent Cognet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3573-5387)
- Anne Straube (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2067-9041)
- Kevin J. Chalut (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6200-9690)
- Adrien Hallou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3162-7848)
- Patricia Bassereau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8544-6778)
- Eva K. Pillai
- Leticia Pías Peleteiro
- Fanny Mochel
- Alfonso de Oyarzábal Sanz
- Juliana Ribeiro-Constante
Institutions
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona (ES)
- Université de Bordeaux (FR)
- Inserm (FR)
- Institut Pasteur (FR)
- Université Paris Cité (FR)
- Wellcome/MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute (GB)
- Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (FR)
- Universitat Abat Oliba CEU (ES)
- Bellvitge University Hospital (ES)
- University of Warwick (GB)
- Sorbonne Université (FR)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Institut d'Investigació Biomédica de Bellvitge (ES)
- Institut d’Optique Graduate School (FR)
- Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (FR)
- Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital (FR)
- Banner - University Medical Center Tucson (US)
- Sant Joan de Déu Research Foundation (ES)
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (DE)
- Laboratoire Photonique, Numérique et Nanosciences (FR)
- Institut du Cerveau (FR)
- Physique des Cellules et Cancers (FR)
- Universitat Rovira i Virgili (ES)
- University of Glasgow (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- iScience
- Published
- 2026-01-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.114643
- Primary Topic
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00