With its Starting Grant, the ERC supports outstanding young researchers who lay the foundation for an independent research program with their innovative projects. One of this year’s awardees is physicist Prof. David Brückner. Brückner, an Assistant Professor with Tenure Track in Theoretical Biophysics at the Faculty of Science, leads his own research group at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel since April 2025. In his project, Brückner explores how cells process mechanical and chemical signals to determine their fate and control the formation of complex tissue structures.
“I am very pleased about the academic freedom the ERC Grant gives us as a group. This will allow us to fully concentrate on our new research ideas in the coming years,” says Brückner.
Following ERC awards to Médéric Diard, Flavio Donato, Maria Hondele, and Anissa Kempf, Brückner’s success marks the fifth consecutive year that this prestigious distinction has gone to the Biozentrum.
Decoding the language of cells
For an embryo to develop, cells must precisely decide which role to take in the body. But how do they make this decision amid diverse signals, mechanical influences, and constant internal fluctuations? Brückner’s research group is developing a new theoretical framework to answer this question: combining computer models with information theory, his team seeks to understand how cells use information from their environment to choose their fate and form tissue structures.
“Our theory aims to investigate the various sources of information that cells use to make decisions: temporal signals, interactions with neighboring cells, and mechanical forces. The goal is to uncover how cells process this information and self-organize into tissue patterns that are essential for development,” says Brückner. His group works both theoretically and in collaboration with experimental partners.
Brückner’s objective is to decipher fundamental principles of cellular decision-making and to develop models that open up new approaches to analyzing experimental data. “The ERC Grant now gives our group the opportunity to pursue new research directions at the interface of developmental biology, physics, and information theory,” says Brückner.
The results of his group’s research could not only deepen our understanding of embryonic development, but also open new paths for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
Supported by the Swiss government
After several years of interruption, the ERC Starting Grant call was once again open to researchers in Switzerland. Since the call opened in 2024 still, a transitional agreement applied: while applications from Switzerland were evaluated by the ERC, funding for this round is being provided by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). Starting with the 2025 calls, Switzerland will again be fully eligible to participate in “Horizon Europe.” Brückner’s ERC Starting Grant is endowed with approximately 1.4 million Swiss francs.
Contact: Communications, Livio Stöckli
More information about the seven ERC Starting Grant recipients at the University of Basel