Universal Biology: The Physics of Life through the Macro-Micro Consistency Principle

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Kunihiko Kaneko (Niels Bohr Institutet, Copenhagen)

Universal Biology

The Physics of Life through the Macro-Micro Consistency Principle

Kunihiko Kaneko (Niels Bohr Institutet, Copenhagen)

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English

Cambridge University Press
20 November 2025

Statistical physics; Biophysics; Cellular biology (cytology)

Living systems consist of diverse components and constitute a hierarchy, from molecules to cells to organisms, which adapt to external perturbations and reproduce stably. This book describes the statistical and physical principles governing cell growth and reproduction, and the mechanisms for adaptation through noise, kinetic memory, and robust cell differentiation through cell to cell interaction and epigenetics. The laws governing rate, direction, and constraints of phenotypic evolution are examined from the perspective of microscopic units (molecules) and macroscopic states (cells), with a focus on maintaining consistency between these length and temporal scales. By integrating theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches, this book offers novel insights into biology from a physicist's perspective and provides a detailed picture of the universal characteristics of living systems. It is indispensable for students and researchers in physics, biology and mathematics interested in understanding the nature of life and the physical principles it is based upon.

By: Kunihiko Kaneko (Niels Bohr Institutet Copenhagen)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Weight: 821g
ISBN: 9781009575669
ISBN 10: 100957566X
Pages: 358
Publication Date: 20 November 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Kunihiko Kaneko has been a Professor at the University of Tokyo for twenty-seven years, teaching mathematical biology, biophysics, and complex systems, and he is currently at the Niels Bohr Institute. He was also Stanislaw Ulam Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory, visiting professor at Osaka University (Frontier Biosciences), University of Lyon, Freiburg University, and part of the external faculty of Santa Fe Institute, a member of the Institute of Advanced Studies at Princeton, and is a Founding Director of Center for Complex Systems Biology and Universal Biology Institute at the University of Tokyo.

Reviews for Universal Biology: The Physics of Life through the Macro-Micro Consistency Principle

'We easily forget how astonishing it is to watch a cell replicate itself. Kaneko reminds us that scientists still lack a fundamental molecular understanding of this most basic feature of life. Readers with backgrounds in physics and complex systems will be rewarded with a refreshing view of biology, grounded in experimental data and mathematical analysis.' Mukund Thattai, National Centre for Biological Sciences, India