MACSYS

A Nonparametric Approach to Practical Identifiability of Nonlinear Mixed Effects Models - Bulletin of Mathematical Biology Mathematical modelling is a widely used approach to understand and interpret clinical trial data. This modelling typically involves fitting mechanistic mathematical models to data from individual tria...

Well it turns out if you know something about the distributions of x and y, you *can* (sometimes) separately estimate their population means.

We explored some biological applications of this idea here:
doi.org/10.1007/s115...

Suppose you know that x+y=100 and want to know what x and y are. You’re stuck right – there’s a whole range of possibilities for two numbers that sum to 100 (in maths we call this non-identifiability).

Come and work with us! I'm looking for a PDRA in data-driven modelling of collective cell behaviour to join the group. More information at www.maths.ox.ac.uk/node/80472

Do cutting-edge research at the frontiers of AI-driven Whole Cell Modelling! We invite applications for two fully funded, 3.5-year PhD positions based with MACSYS at The Australian National University (ANU). 2026 PhD applications are now open for two exciting projects.👇
macsys.org/phd-scholars...

@lornegenome.bsky.social @traudebeilharz.bsky.social

Honoured to have a member of our Intl Scientific Advisory Board in Australia this week. Prof Brenda Andrews from the Univ of Toronto (pictured right) delivered an invited talk at the Lorne Genome Conference and caught up with our Chief Investigator Traude Beilharz, president of the Conference Board.

Congratulations to MACSYS PhD student Yong See (Elijah) Foo from The University of Melbourne - awarded the prize for best student talk at the recent ANZIAM Conference. The Australia & New Zealand Industrial & Applied Mathematics (ANZIAM) conference was held in Canberra.
👉 macsys.org/macsys-phd-s...

That's a wrap for Lorne Genome 2026! Thanks to all the speakers for fascinating talks, poster presenters for hot of the press science, trade for making the experiments possible and of course all the attendees for great discussion. See you next year!

YouTube video by MACSYS Dr Joshua Hamey - MACSYS Research Fellow

Meet Dr Joshua Hamey, one of our outstanding MACSYS Research Fellows. Based at our UNSW node, Josh is a molecular biologist studying how proteins are made inside cells.
In this video, Josh shares insights into his research and what inspired him to join MACSYS.
youtu.be/MuAfPxFXWZk?...

2026 Winner of the Lorne Genome Julian Wells Medal: Christine Wells (no relation!) @stemcellsystems.bsky.social congratulations, well deserved!!

We are so privileged to have Professor Brenda Andrews on our Centre's International Scientific Advisory Board - and pleased to see her sharing her expertise at the Lorne Genome Conference this week. @lornegenome.bsky.social

Do cutting-edge research at the frontiers of AI-driven Whole Cell Modelling! We invite applications for two fully funded, 3.5-year PhD positions based with MACSYS at The Australian National University (ANU).
👉Info on the 2 PhD projects & how to apply: macsys.org/phd-scholars...

MACSYS at ANZIAM!
This past week, members from three of our nodes represented the Centre at the Conference of the Australia & New Zealand Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ANZIAM) held this year in Canberra. Among the highlights, PhD Student Yong See Foo winning the prize for best student paper.

What a week it's been at the 2026 Lorne Proteins Conference! Centre Director Trevor Lithgow & members of his lab from Monash University attended - showing off their work and taking in the latest research that this important conference showcases. @lorneproteins.bsky.social #lorneproteins2026

Do cutting-edge research at the frontiers of AI-driven Whole Cell Modelling! We invite applications for two fully funded, 3.5-year PhD positions based with MACSYS at The Australian National University (ANU).
👉Info on the 2 PhD projects & how to apply: macsys.org/phd-scholars...

It was a hybrid event, with our Melbourne & Monash node members gathering at The University of Melbourne. We had another in-person gathering at UNSW, while others from QUT and ANU nodes joined online. The event was organised by our Centre's Equity, People, and Culture Committee.

Did you know that only around 20% of all biographies on Wikipedia are about women? To mark the International Day of Women & Girls in Science, MACSYS hosted a Wikipedia Edit‑a‑thon to help address this imbalance by improving & creating pages about #WomenInSTEM.

Their expertise spans biology, mathematics, statistics, machine learning, AI, computer science and computational modelling. Their collaborative work is bridging disciplines & pushing the boundaries of what we can understand about life at the molecular level!
#InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience

On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, MACSYS proudly celebrates the exceptional women who are advancing our mission to model a whole cell - one of the most ambitious challenges in modern science. Pictured here are our Chief Investigators, Research Fellows, and PhD candidates.

Eduardo Eyras appointed Director of Shine‑Dalgarno Centre for RNA Innovation | EMBL Australia From being recruited through a highly competitive international search to Centre Director, Professor Eduardo Eyras has charted an impressive journey at EMBL Australia. After joining the John Curtin Sc...

🔦 Spotlighting Prof @edueyras.bsky.social - EMBL Australia Group Leader & newly appointed Director of the Shine‑Dalgarno Centre for #RNA Innovation at ANU!

🔗 Read about his vision for the Centre:
www.emblaustralia.org/eduardo-eyra...

First time I've been able to go to the opening of @lorneproteins.bsky.social, 11th time I've attended #can'tgetkeysbefore3pm

Proteomics on the Great Ocean Road! MACSYS Chief Investigator Marc Wilkins (2nd from right) and his lab a strong showing at the 31st Annual Proteomics Symposium in Lorne.
Talks from Nicola Karakatsanis and Tara Keogh, plus posters from Heather, James, Josh, and Tara. Great work, Team Wilkins Lab.

Our Centre node at QUT to is pleased to welcome Johann Fredrik Jadebeck for a visit this month. Johann is a researcher at Forschungszentrum Jülich (IBG-1) - and is giving a lecture this Friday. Join us in person at QUT or online: macsys.org/event/johann...
📆Fri, 16 January: 11 am AEST/ 12 pm AEDT

You can now find MACSYS on YouTube!
📽️ www.youtube.com/@MACSYS-Centre
Find out more about our Centre's research mission, our people, and more! And while you're there, please subscribe to our channel.

From last year: a short video from the ARC Centre of Excellence MACSYS @macsys.bsky.social where I talk about my research on bringing domain knowledge into data-driven AI methods for complex biology

✨ Cheers to 2026! 🍾
At MACSYS, we’re looking forward to a year of collaboration, exploration, and discovery with our partners, universities, colleagues and communities. Together, we’ll continue to learn, innovate, and grow. Thank you for being part of our journey. Here’s to an inspiring year ahead!

YouTube video by MACSYS MACSYS at the EMBL Australia PhD Program

MACSYS was proud to partner with EMBL Australia for the 2025 edition of its flagship PhD training course. As a course sponsor, MACSYS led two dedicated teaching days, introducing participants to our mission of modelling an entire cell. This video📽️explains how: youtu.be/Gsm2taPZffI
@emblaustralia.org

A huge thanks to @macsys.bsky.social for supporting our 10th PhD Course - we could not have done it without you! 👏

The students were given a good taste of the interdisciplinary nature of MACSYS research - from biology, to maths, to AI, machine learning and computer science - with the hopes this next generation will feel more comfortable working across disciplines to tackle big scientific challenges!

MACSYS is proud to support this year's EMBL Australia PhD program as it brings together more than 60 high-achieving PhD students from across the country for this unique, two-week residential course. For 2 days this week, MACSYS researchers led the program's sessions.
@emblaustralia.org