Stéphane Leduc (1 November 1853 – 8 March 1939) was a Frenchbiologist who sought to contribute to understanding of thechemical andphysical mechanisms oflife.[1] He was a scientist in the fledgling field ofsynthetic biology, particularly in relation todiffusion andosmosis. He was aprofessor at theÉcole de Médecine de Nantes and worked onosmotic crystallisation and thephysiological effects ofelectric current. He was anOfficier de la Légion d'honneur.
Leduc believed that it is necessary to appreciate biological processes from a physical perspective and constructed models fromphysics and chemistry to try to explaindevelopment and growth; these would typically involve ingenious combinations of chemicals to produce systems which mimicked the appearance of living processes such askaryokinesis and "remarkable fungus-like forms".[1] He "[repudiated] extra-physical forces in the phenomena of life".[1] According to Keller, these models were largely unsuccessful, "not just because of the conspicuous artificiality of his osmotic growths".[1] Leduc sought to synthesise life "by directing the physical forces which are its cause" (in his own words).[1]
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