Integration of themes

Our unique, transdisciplinary team will form a collaborative research institute to study solid-state biology occurring under low water conditions in varied systems and at diverse scales.

WALII will operate as a virtual research institute that brings together scientists and trainees from 9 institutions across the US to collaborate and cross-train on 9 major projects. Each project will be carried out by labs in 3-7 institutions, led by a Co-PI from different institutes, and use a wide-ranging set of tools, biological systems, and disciplines.

Our holistic approach to mentoring all members across WALII labs will break discipline barriers and create new synergies. We envision opening new fields between material science and cell physiology, between evolutionary ecology and computational biophysics, or between any of the many disciplines represented at WALII.