Julian Hart Lewis was an outstanding embryologist and mathematical biologist whose breadth of interests and skills helped re-establish the importance of quantitative thinking to modern molecular developmental biology. He was most interested in the fundamental question of how the single-celled fertilized egg generates many different types of cells (e.g. nerves, skin, muscle) at the correct time and arranged in the right place. This remarkable generation of complexity is fundamental to an understanding of how animals develop and how this is orchestrated by their genes. Julian was exceptional in combining a ‘feel’ for biological questions and the ability to utilize rigorous and revealing mathematical models. He was also an outstanding mentor, writer and polymath, who was ahead of his time in breaching historical barriers between different scientific disciplines.
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Martin et al. (2024) studied this question.
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