Evolutionary biophysics in Brazil

Abstract

Physicists have been fascinated by the biological sciences for many years, but it has also deemed not amenable to be studied by the molecular sciences—for most of recorded history it was actually believed that biology had its own laws, a view that started to erode when the synthesis of urea on a laboratory posed a question to the vital principle. In the twentieth century, many physicists ventured into biology in general and evolution in particular. Here, we present a panel of evolutionary biophysics in Brazil, based on literature review, investigation of scientific meeting annals and personal communication with key names in Brazilian academia who traversed the barriers between physics and evolution. The review focuses on scientists from Brazilian institutions, including foreigners that moved to Brazil. Most of the research groups discussed here originated from a physicist’s interest in biology, but the opposite was also possible. Most of the scientists presented in this review are still active in the area, or advised PhDs that created new groups of evolutionary biophysics themselves. Organizational initiatives are also briefly discussed. This review intends to not only be a “who is who” in Brazilian evolutionary physics, but also share a few historic events that brought scientists to this area.