Pioneering whole-cell modelling, this Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre is helping scientists better understand and predict how living cells work.
Director of MACSYS Professor Trevor Lithgow delivers opening remarks at the MACSYS Centre Launch at Science Gallery Melbourne. Credit: Supplied.
The ARC Centre of Excellence for the Mathematical Analysis of Cellular Systems (MACSYS) is changing how we study and predict the behaviour of living systems. and engineer the living world. Launched at the University of Melbourne, this Centre has received $35 million in ARC funding.
MACSYS is developing the mathematical tools and computer models needed to make biology more predictive - helping scientists describe how cells work and forecast what they'll do next. The Centre's goal is to create detailed whole-cell models that complement traditional laboratory research, tackle major biological challenges, and support new breakthroughs in biotechnology.
Why whole-cell modelling matters
Building a complete model of a living cell is one of the hardest challenges in science. Only two such models exist worldwide - both for bacteria.
MACSYS aims to go much further, creating models that show how cells grow, respond to their environment, and develop diseases. These predictive tools could help researchers:
- anticipate how diseases progress
- design more targeted treatments
- engineer microbes for sustainable manufacturing and clean technologies
Through this work, MACSYS is helping position Australia as a global leader in this exciting new field of science.
Collaboration at the core
ARC Academic Director, Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences Professor Anika Gauja said the Centre's strength lies in its collaborative approach.
'Challenges of this scale cannot be solved in isolation. They require interdisciplinary thinking, shared infrastructure, and a culture of openness and innovation - all hallmarks of MACSYS,' Professor Gauja said.
MACSYS brings together researchers from five universities - the University of Melbourne, Monash University, QUT, ANU and UNSW - along with international partners in research and industry. The Centre also works closely with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance (ATSIMA), reflecting its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and supporting ATSIMA's mission for an education revolution in mathematics.
Looking ahead
As MACSYS begins its work, the ARC is proud to support research that will place Australia at the forefront of predictive biology - delivering discoveries that improve health, sustainability and quality of life.
'At the ARC, we are proud to support research that is transformative, collaborative, and of national benefit. We believe in the power of research to solve complex problems, drive innovation, and improve lives, and we believe MACSYS will do all of these things,' Professor Gauja said.
Learn more about the work of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Mathematical Analysis of Cellular Systems (MACSYS) .
