We recently announced the 2025 Conference on Engineering in Living Systems (CELS), which will be held July 31-August 2, at Seattle University, 1001 E. James Way, Seattle, WA. 

CELS 2025 brings together an interdisciplinary group of biologists, engineers, computer scientists, medical practitioners and researchers, systems modelers, process designers, and others from related disciplines in order to: (1) apply engineering principles to better understand biological systems, (2) craft a design-based theoretical framework that explains and predicts the behaviors of living systems, and (3) develop research programs that demonstrate the engineering principles at work in living systems.

The conference will follow a workshop-like format of discussion-oriented sessions in a collegial setting, with a goal of fostering active participation and establishing concrete results and action items. 

Topics Will Include the Following:

• Intersection of Biology and Engineering — the impacts of engineering thinking in the study of biology
• Theory of Biological Design — a theoretical framework based on a systems view of life, to include a theory of the generative and a theory of stasis
• Architecture of Living Systems — design principles and design patterns in living systems, and the tradeoffs required for overall function
• Adaptative Capabilities and Limitations — mechanisms and processes used by living systems to adapt to changing circumstances and environments
• Coherence — organization of capabilities and processes to achieve and sustain life
• Orchestration and Optimization — control systems and lifecycle processes
• Interdependency and Causal Circularity — how complex and coherent systems are initialized and jumpstarted
• Resilience — failure prevention and anti-fragility in living systems
• Degradation — degradation processes and effects in living systems
• Applications and Models — formal methods for modeling and understanding living systems

To Participate, Not Just Listen

This is not a conference for listening to ID thought leaders (though many will be there), but an opportunity to jump in and become part of the conversation — working together to develop a new theoretical framework for how living systems work, as well as their adaptive capabilities and limits to change over time. We expect many who have long stayed on the sidelines will find themselves uniquely positioned to contribute.

We hope to be able to offer a limited number of scholarships to upper class and graduate students, or to post-docs in early career positions.

Space is limited in order to promote meaningful discussion and concrete results, so if you’d like to join us for this unique opportunity, we encourage you to complete the application process as soon as possible.

We look forward to seeing you at CELS 2025!

For more information, and to apply, go to https://www.discovery.org/e/cels2025/.