Göttinger Graduiertenzentrum für Neurowissenschaften, Biophysik und Molekulare Biowissenschaften

Hallatschek, Oskar, Dr.


  • 1995-2000 Studies of Physics, University of Heidelberg and ETH Zürich
  • 2000 Diploma in Physics, ETH Zürich
  • 2001-2004 Doctoral thesis, supervision Prof. Dr. Erwin Frey, at the Hahn-Meitner Institute Berlin
  • 2004 Dr. rer. nat. (Physics) free University Berlin
  • 2005-2008 Post-Doc at Harvard University with Prof. Dr. David R. Nelson and Sharad Ramanthan
  • since 2009 Head of the Research Group „Biological physics and evolutionary dynamics“of the Max Planck Society at the MPI-ds Göttingen (Associate Professor Level, 5 yrs)
  • since 2013 Assistant Professor & McAdams Chair, Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley




Major Research Interests

How does evolution work? Although (since Darwin) the principles of biological evolution are known, we are unable to predict her course. Rapid biotechnological advances allow, however, a direct view onto the temporal changes in the genome. The group applies methods of statistical physics and nonlinear dynamics to develop theoretical models of molecular evolution that are tested with genomic data or in experiments.

Partially related biophysical projects deal with microbial morphogenesis. We use a combination of theory and experiments to test our understanding of the viscoelasticity and hydrodynamics involved in the fromation of self-organizing microbial populations (biofilms).


Homepage Department/Research Group

http://www.evo.ds.mpg.de/



Selected Recent Publications


  • Hallatschek, Oskar, and David R Nelson. "Gene surfing in expanding populations." Theoretical Population Biology 73, no. 1 (2008): 158-170

  • Hallatschek, Oskar, Pascal Hersen, Sharad Ramanathan, and David R Nelson. "Genetic drift at expanding frontiers promotes gene segregation." Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 104, no. 50 (2007): 19926-19930

  • B. Obermayer and O. Hallatschek. "Coupling of transverse and longitudinal response in stiff polymers." Physical Review Letters 99, no. 9 (2007): 098302

  • Hallatschek, O, E Frey, and K Kroy. "Propagation and relaxation of tension in stiff polymers." Physical Review Letters 94, no. 7 (2005): 077804

  • Le Goff, L, O Hallatschek, E Frey, and F Amblard. "Tracer studies on F-actin fluctuations." Physical Review Letters 89, no. 25 (2002): 258101