Today marks the official launch of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Mathematical Analysis of Cellular Systems – or MACSYS for short.

Although MACSYS began operations in 2024, this formal launch held at Science Gallery Melbourne, celebrates the Centre’s ambitious vision, groundbreaking research, and the collaborative spirit that drives its mission.

Funded with $35 million through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centres of Excellence program, MACSYS Director, Professor Trevor Lithgow said the Centre is poised to revolutionise biology by discovery and development of the new mathematic and computational technologies required to make biology predictive.

“We need to be able to predict what a cell is going to do in response to some intervention,” Professor Lithgow said.

“If a stimulus is made, if a change in environmental conditions rips through, we must understand fully and comprehensively what the outcomes will be. That’s the power of whole cell modelling.”

The Centre is headquartered at the University of Melbourne and brings together 20 Chief Investigators across five node universities, including Monash University, the Australian National University, Queensland University of Technology , and the University of New South Wales.

It is a multidisciplinary team of researchers spanning cell biology, mathematical modelling, statistics, computer science and artificial intelligence.

Its research mission is to establish mathematical whole cell models for in silico biology (using computer models) as a powerful complement to traditional in vivo (inside living organisms) and in vitro (lab experiment) approaches. These models will tackle fundamental biological problems and create a world-leading research and biotechnology translation environment.

University of Melbourne Professor Jennifer Flegg is the Centre’s Deputy Director.

“If we can unlock the potential of a whole cell model, then there are vast biological, medical, and biotech applications that will advance greatly from our science,” Professor Flegg said.

MACSYS is proud to acknowledge its partner organisations, whose collaboration enriches its research and outreach. They include:

• ATSIMA, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance – working together to support ATSIMA’s mission for an education revolution in mathematics.
• AWRI, the Australian Wine Research Institute – collaborating on modelling yeast activity and capability in winemaking.
• JuliaHub – engaging closely to apply radical new computational approaches to biological data modelling.

ARC Executive Director for Humanities and Creative Arts, Professor Allison Ross, expressed her confidence in MACSYS’ future impact.

“The ARC looks forward to seeing MACSYS deliver the discoveries, insights, and innovations that will place Australia at the forefront of this transformative field,” Professor Ross said.

MACSYS also expresses deep gratitude to the Australian Research Council (ARC) for its generous support. As Professor Lithgow noted:

“For 22 years, the ARC has supported a program of Centres of Excellence for some of Australia’s best researchers to collaborate and develop our international standing in research areas of national priority. In the 2023 round, the ARC invested into the mathematical analysis of cellular systems, and MACSYS is grateful for this huge support. The Centres of Excellence program is a means by which we will bring positive change to the scientific landscape in Australia and bring benefits beyond our scientific advances.”

Media Contact:

• Tim Macuga, MACSYS Media & Communications Director: macuga@qut.edu.au