Università degli Studi di Cagliari
Formal Models in Systems Biology
10 luglio 2012
Il Prof. Andrea Bracciali (University of Stirling, UK) terrà nei giorni martedì 10 e giovedì 12 luglio 2012 dalle ore 16.00 alle ore 18.00 presso il Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica, via Ospedale n. 72, Aula Magna Matematica, un seminario dal titolo:
Formal Models in Systems Biology
Il seminario si svolgerà in lingua inglese.
Tutti gli interessati sono cordialmente invitati.
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.
Massimo Bartoletti, G. Michele Pinna
Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica
Trustworthy Computational Societies Research Group
Universita’ degli Studi di Cagliari