In 1993, Novak & Tyson published a comprehensive model of M-phase control in frog egg extracts (J. Cell Sci. 106, 1153-1168). The model, soundly based on known molecular mechanisms, provided a unified understanding of cell-cycle transitions, mitotic oscillations, checkpoints, and wave propagation in frog eggs, yeast cells and fruit fly embryos. It made many non-intuitive predictions that were...
In this presentation, I will start from my own experience in the lab of Bela Novak to discuss some results on cell cycle regulation, remember his figure as a mentor, and I will discuss the importance of doing basic science slowly and in depth. In particular, I will discuss the last stretch of 'hungarian years' in Bela's work (early 2000s up to 2007), when he had the freedom to do research in...
My scientific path has been deeply shaped by my collaboration with Béla Novák and John Tyson. Working on the early embryonic cycles of Drosophila melanogaster, I was introduced to a way of thinking that seeks simple, robust principles behind complex biological phenomena.
Beyond the specific results, Béla Novák’s approach, which combines conceptual clarity with biological insight, left a...
I started working with Béla as an undergraduate and remained in his lab for more than a decade, continuing to learn from him even until he left us. Together with John, he taught me how to analyse biological regulatory systems with both positive and negative feedback loops. The combination of these two can lead to fascinating dynamical behaviours. As Béla used to say: “it is bloody complicated”...
As a PhD student, I began working with Prof. Béla Novák, and I learned virtually everything about the theoretical biology approach from him. The years I spent in his group at Oxford truly showed me how to combine theoretical biology techniques with molecular biology methods.
Later, I tried to apply this knowledge when I began studying autophagy induction at Semmelweis University. Although...
This symposium will feature contributions from several of Béla Novak’s collaborators and colleagues, with the aim of commemorating his fundamental contributions to the field of computational systems biology, in particular regarding the deciphering and predictive modelling of the complex molecular network controlling the eucaryotic cell cycle, as well as his exceptional scientific mentoring qualities.
