Feed me, you need me – On the evolution of obligate metabolic cross-feeding interactions within bacterial communities
Speaker: Christian Kost
Organizer: Jürgen Zanghellini
Economic principles in cell physiology
Interdisciplinary collaborative forum
Adobe Stock/vanzerim
Physical, chemical and economic principles of living cells
Living cells evolve complex regulatory strategies, but they remain constrained by the laws of physics and chemistry. The Forum on Economic principles in cell physiology explores the fundamental principles that govern cellular organization, resource allocation, and biological function through discussion, modeling, and interdisciplinary exchange.
Upcoming seminar
About the Forum
The Forum on Economic Principles in Cell Physiology is an open, international discussion space for cell physiology, systems biology, and mathematical modeling. It brings together researchers at all career stages – from students to senior scientists and emeriti professors – to exchange ideas in a collaborative and inclusive setting.
Each session is organized by a small team that selects topics from community suggestions and invites two speakers. Talks are short, with extended time for discussion. Ideas are shared and refined collaboratively during the session.
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How it works: Session format
- Monthly forum sessions (1st Thursday)
- Two time slots: 13:00 or 17:30 CET (12:00 or 16:30 UTC)
- Two speakers per session
- Discussion-driven format
- Shared collaborative note-taking
- Open post-session discussions
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Get involved
The Forum Economic Principles in Cell Physiology is run by an international network of researchers across Europe, the US, Asia, and Central America. We meet regularly to coordinate topics, invite speakers, and shape the direction of the forum. Everyone is welcome to participate.
- Join the mailing list
- Suggest topics
- Help organize sessions
- Participate in discussions
Book project
We are exploring the possibility of writing a non-commercial, open-access textbook for our discipline. Collaborative writing will help distribute the workload among all participants.
Our book is continuously being developed, with updated versions released every three months. Below, you can find the latest version. The book and individual chapters (formatted as preprints) are also available on Zenodo.
If you are interested in contributing or simply want to learn more, please take a look at our preliminary table of contents. To get involved in the book project or share your potential contributions, please add your details to the shared document.
Bioicons by Pranas Grigaitis and Diana Széliová
Biomass composition and cell structure of a typical bacterial, yeast, and a mammalian cell.
Open-access textbook: October 2026 edition
The Economic Cell Collective (2026). Economic Principles in Cell Biology. No commercial publisher | Online open access book. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.8156386.