This textbook introduces biology as an interdisciplinary science, linking physics and chemistry to biological processes that operate within the laws of thermodynamics. Based on an evolutionary narrative, the focus is on the molecular composition and the biochemistry of cells. By grounding biology in its molecular foundations, this approach reveals unifying principles underlying life's diversity and provides a conceptual framework for biological complexity. Core concepts include macromolecular structure and function, information encoding and decoding, and universal principles of energy conversion.
Key Features
- Reflects a novel biology teaching approach
- Uses evolution as the unifying framework
- Introduces a narrative towards complexity in life
- Bridges chemistry and physics to make molecular biology accessible
- Focuses on bacteria and archaea as the simplest life forms to illustrate fundamental principles
- Progresses from molecules through molecular interactions to cellular processes
- Highlights key biological concepts with summaries and reflective questions
This textbook is designed for students seeking an integrated introduction to biology that connects molecular mechanisms to cellular structures.
Julia A. Vorholt is Professor of Microbiology at the Department of Biology, ETH Zurich. She studied biology at the Universities of Bonn and Marburg and conducted her PhD work at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg. Following postdoctoral research at the University of Washington in Seattle, she led research groups at the MPI Marburg and subsequently at the CNRS in Toulouse. She joined ETH Zurich as Associate Professor in 2006 and has been Full Professor since 2012. She is an elected member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), the Academia Europaea, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, and an international member of the US National Academy of Sciences. Her laboratory focuses on one-carbon metabolism, plant microbiomes, and endosymbioses.
Jörn Piel is Professor of Microbiology at the Department of Biology, ETH Zurich. He studied chemistry at the University of Bonn, where he also received his PhD. After a postdoctoral project at the University of Washington, Seattle, he became a group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena. In 2004, he moved to the University of Bonn as an Associate Professor of Bioorganic Chemistry, and since 2013 he has been Full Professor at the Institute of Microbiology at ETH Zurich. He is an elected member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. His research group studies bacterial natural product biosynthesis at the interface of biology and chemistry.
Markus Aebi is Professor emeritus of Mycology at the Department of Biology, ETH Zurich. He studied natural sciences at ETH Zurich and received his PhD from ETH Zurich. Following postdoctoral research at the University of Zurich and the California Institute of Technology, he led a research group as a START fellow of the Swiss National Science Foundation. In 1994 he became Professor at ETH Zurich. He is an elected member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. His research activities focused on microbial glycobiology.
Donald Hilvert is Professor emeritus of Organic Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich. He obtained his B.A. from Brown University, Rhode Island and earned his PhD from Columbia University, New York. Following postdoctoral work at Rockefeller University, New York, he joined the Scripps Research Institute as an Assistant Professor, where he was promoted to Associate Professor and then Full Professor. He came to ETH Zurich as Full Professor of Organic Chemistry in 1997. He is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His group is developing general strategies for the design of proteins with customized catalytic properties.
