New $50 million institute aims to use the power of math to model, predict biological processes

A collage of images showing magnified views of organisms including the brain of a fruit fly larva, the cells and structure of a fruit fly eye, and equations describing some of the biological processes involved.

Views of a fruit fly larva's brain and eye structure with equations describing their biology.

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September 14, 2023

The National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology will bring together mathematical and biological scientists to make new advances in challenging and potentially high-reward research areas.

Building a mathematics-based understanding of biology at all scales of life — from individual cells to interactions between species — is the goal of a new $50 million institute supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation in partnership with the Simons Foundation. The two organizations are each providing $25 million to launch the National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology (NITMB). The institute will bring together experts across the mathematical and biological sciences to explore research challenges related to a broad range of topics and industries, such as the environment, biomedicine and biotechnology.

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