Prof. Lucia Marucci

Professor of Systems and Engineering Biology; EPSRC Fellow; BBSRC/EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Engineering Biology (EngBioCDT) Director.

“From Models to Molecules: Designing and Controlling Living Systems”

From control systems to cells, mathematics has been the unifying thread in my academic journey—from undergraduate studies in Mathematics in my hometown (L’Aquila, Italy), to a PhD in Automatic Engineering for Synthetic Biology (University Federico II, Italy), through postdoctoral research in stem cell systems biology as an EMBO Fellow at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, and since 2013, as a faculty member at the University of Bristol.

My research lies at the interdisciplinary interface of systems biology, engineering biology, control engineering and computer science. In this inaugural lecture, I will delve into the intersection where mathematical thinking meets engineering principles to explore, understand, and ultimately reprogram living systems.

I will present work on integrating mathematical models with optimization and machine learning for the design of biological parts and whole genomes; implementing feedback controllers to dynamically regulate cellular processes; and developing multiscale models to study the emergent behaviours of cells.

By blending mathematics with biology and technology, this research aims to build a rational foundation for the next generation of bioengineering tools—with implications for biotechnology, medicine, and our fundamental understanding of life.

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In addition to this event, the Mario and Diego Di Bernardo will be hosting a Cybergenetics Workshop and registration can be fouind here: Cybergenetics workshops (Lucia Marucci's Inaugural Lecture series) Tickets, Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite