Bringing cells to life … and to Minecraft: $30 million NSF grant to support whole-cell modeling

Two people standing in front of laboratory equipment
Co-principal investigators Martin Gruebele (left) and Zan Luthey-Schulten (right)

Beckman researchers and collaborators, including Eric Morgan of NRES and ALEC, received $30 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation to establish the NSF Science and Technology Center for Quantitative Cell Biology. The center will develop whole-cell models to transform our understanding of how cells function and share that knowledge with diverse communities through the popular computer game Minecraft.

Morgan will help develop content that leverages the wide appeal of cell biology and the advanced visualization tools made possible by collaborations with partners NVIDIA and the Beckman NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling. He will also lead sessions in culturally competent science communication in Center workshops.

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