Notice: Due to planned maintenance, the website will be unavailable from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Wednesday, February 11, 2026
We apologise in advance for any inconvenience that may be caused and thank you for your understanding.
To content
Professorship for Medical Physics

Prof. Dr. Matthias Schneider

Department of Physics
Otto-Hahn-Str. 4
44227 Dortmund

Room: P2-03-512
Tel.: +49 (0)231 755-4139
Fax: +49 (0)231 755-4547

Portrait of Matthias Schneider © Roland Baege​/​TU Dortmund

Secretariat

„Can physical laws explain living systems?
Our dream is to understand living systems and health based on physical principles. We explore the role of momentum conservation and show that it leads to the propagation of linear and nonlinear acoustic pulses in hydrated interfaces (e.g., lipid membranes). We hypothesize that such pulses are the basis for communication and integration in biology.
Of particular importance is the thermodynamic state of the interface. It affects not only propagation velocity, conductivity, morphological changes, but also enzymatic activity (which are essential for cellular biochemistry). We propose a physical basis of specificity.
Conservation of momentum and thermodynamics are the pillars of our approach to the formation of cells, tissues, and organs such as the brain. As such, it forms the basis for a new approach to health and disease.“

Further information