Michael Levin (biologist)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For persons of a similar name, see Michael Levin (disambiguation).
This article is about an American developmental and synthetic biologist from Tufts University. For an American developmental and cell biologist from Princeton University, see Michael Levine (biologist).
Michael Levin
Michael Levin.jpg
Born1969
Moscow, USSR
CitizenshipUSA
Alma materTufts University (BS)
Harvard University (PhD)[1]
Harvard Medical School (postdoc)
Known forXenobots, morphogenesis
Scientific career
FieldsDevelopmental biology, synthetic biology
InstitutionsForsyth Institute[1]
Tufts University[2]
Wyss Institute
Doctoral advisor
(postdoc advisor)
Websitehttp://www.drmichaellevin.org

Michael Levin is an American developmental and synthetic biologist at Tufts University, where he is the Vannevar Bush Distinguished Professor.[2] Levin is a director of Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University and Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology.[2]

Early life[]

Michael Levin was born in Moscow, USSR, in 1969, in Jewish family.[3] His parents faced anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union, and in 1978 took advantage of a visa program for Soviet Jews and moved the family to Lynn, Massachusetts.[3] Levin's father was computer programmer and worked for the Soviet weather service;[3] his mother was a concert pianist.[4]

Levin's family immigration was sponsored by Temple Sinai in Marblehead, Massachusetts. His family is still members of Temple Sinai.[4] Levin stated that "I live, I think, I've always lived within about a mile radius of where we landed in '78."[4]

Career[]

Levin established a lab at the Forsyth Institute in 2000. His research interests includes bioelectrical signals by which cells communicate to serve the patterning needs of the host organism; development, regeneration, and cancer, plasticity of the brain and its connection to somatic tissues; analysis of molecular components with a synthesis designed to understand top-down controls and large-scale properties. He moved his group to Tufts in 2009.

A xenobot design discovered in simulation (left) and the deployed organism (right) built from frog skin (green) and heart muscle (red).

He is known for co-discovering the Xenobots, "Living robots made from frog skin cells can sense their environment".[5] This research is focused on development of a multiplexed, microfluidic, Xenopus embryo culture system that will enable discovery of new drug targets and development of therapeutics when combined with multiomics and an integrated bioinformatics pipeline. This work in funded by DARPA THoR program.[6]

As of 2021, Levin's lab is working on synthetic biology applications of bioelectricity for cellular control; development of a bioinformatics of shape, AI tools for discovery and testing of algorithmic models linking molecular-genetic data to morphogenesis; using techniques from AI, computational neuroscience, and cognitive science to make models of morphogenesis.[7]

Levin is co-editor in chief of the Bioelectricity, founding associate editor of Collective Intelligence, and is on editorial advisory board of Laterality journals.[2]

Awards and Honors[8][]

  • 2020 Distinguished Professor, Tufts University
  • 2013 Distinguished Scholar Award, Tufts University
  • 2013 Certificate of Teaching Excellence from MBL Stem Cell Course
  • 2012 Scientist of Vision Award, IFESS
  • 2011 Vannevar Bush Endowed Chair appointment
  • 2004 The work on the molecular basis of left-right asymmetry (Cell 1995) was chosen by the journal Nature as a “Milestone in Developmental Biology in the last century”
  • 2001 “Best Talk” award at the Juan March Foundation conference on Left Right Asymmetry in Madrid, Spain
  • 2000 Junior Investigator Award, Society for Physical Regulation in Biology and Medicine
  • 1997-2000 Helen Hay Whitney Foundation post-doctoral fellowship
  • 1997 Alexander Imich Award, paper on cognitive science and consciousness
  • 1992-1995 NSF pre-doctoral fellowship for Ph.D. work
  • 1990, 1991 Hughes Scholarships for research in developmental biophysics

Publications[]

Michael Levin has published more than 100 papers, full list can be found on his Google Scholar page[9] or in his official biography at Tufts website.[10][8]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Michael Levin Brief Bio". loop.frontiersin.org.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Tufts University: The Levin Lab". Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Persuading the Body to Regenerate Its Limbs". The New Yorker.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Oral History Interviews with Michael Levin". American Institute of Physics.
  5. ^ "Living robots made from frog skin cells can sense their environment". New Scientist.
  6. ^ "Wyss Institute Michael Levin, Ph.D."
  7. ^ "Levin's Lab: New directions". Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Michael Levin Biographical Sketch" (PDF).
  9. ^ "Michael Levin's Google Scholar profile".
  10. ^ "Levin's Lab Publications".

External links[]

Retrieved from ""