Lug 092012
Upcoming Seminar Formal Models in Systems Biology July 10, 16.00-18.00 Aula Magna Matematica, July 12, 16.00-18.00 Aula C, Palazzo delle Scienze - Cagliari Andrea Bracciali SICSA Lecturer - University of Stirling (UK) Abstract. Papers
like "Protein molecules as computational elements in living cells"
[Bray, Nature 1995] and "Cells as computation" [Regev and Shapiro,
Nature 2002] have put forward the idea that many aspects of living
systems have a computational nature. Specifically, the complex network
of interaction and information exchange that occurs within the
biochemistry at the inter and intra cellular level, can be assimilated
to the functioning of a distributed, interactive computational system.
In the words of Bray, proteins are "functionally linked ... into
biochemical 'circuits' that perform a variety of simple computational
tasks including amplification, integration and information storage". Under
this perspective, it has appeared natural to employ the techniques used
to model and analyse interactive computational systems to the realm of
living organisms. Such a research trend aims at further developments
within Systems Biology, the research area that approaches the study of
the living organisms at a systemic level (see "Systems Biology: a brief
overview" [Kitano, Science 2002]). Computationally inspired formal
models and analysis techniques are being used to carry out "in silico"
experiments, which may often represent a cheaper, faster, more ethical,
more easily measurable, and less constrained complement to the more
traditional "in vitro/vivo" investigation. This
extended-seminar will briefly survey some of the formal techniques,
particularly those originated from concurrency theory, which have been
adopted, adapted and further developed for the research in Systems
Biology. Starting from a historical perspective, the main ideas of the
approach will be discussed and a few small examples discussed. The course has been funded by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia through the Visiting Professor Program 2011-12. |