Contents - Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme
Contents - Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme
Contents - Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
TCS-Program:TimingandDynamicsinBiologicalSystems,Workshop<br />
Scientificcoordinators:F.Naef,A.Oates,J.Stelling<br />
Biologicalrhythmsattractedtheoristslongbeforethemoleculareraofmodernbiology,andimportant<br />
contributionscamefromtheoreticalorgeometricalreasoning. However,howcomplexandstochastic<br />
dynamicsofunderlyingmolecularandcellularprocessestranslatesintotemporallyorderedmacroscopic<br />
behaviourisstillpoorlyunderstood. Thecouplingofbiologicaloscillatorsprovidesanadditionallayer<br />
of rich phenomenology. This workshop aimed to bring theorists and experimentalists together to<br />
learnaboutnewconceptualandtechnicaldevelopments,tofosteracommonlanguage,andtobuild<br />
bridgesbetweenexperimentaldataontimingandtheoreticalexplanationsandmethods. Theworkshop<br />
tried to identify principles of timing that are general biological strategies, regardless of the model<br />
systemortheabsolutetimescale. Plenarylecturesweregivenbythreeimportantparticipantsspanning<br />
theexperimentaltheoreticalspectrum. MichaelHastingsisanexperimentalbiologistworkingonthe<br />
circadianclockandpresentedtheoutstandingtechnicaladvancesheandhiscolleagueshavemadein<br />
recordingthedynamicsofthesystemandprobingtheunderlyinggenetics. Jean-PierreEckmannisa<br />
leadingtheoristinnetworks,presentedhisworkoninformationflowinbiologicalnetworksincludingfor<br />
modelsofself-organizingneuronsinculture. JoeHowardisabiophysicistwhoselabusestheoryand<br />
experimenttounderstandcoupledmechanicaloscillatorssuchasmolecularmotorsincellbehaviorssuch<br />
asflagellabeating. OtherprominentparticipantsincludedJohnTyson,whoseworkonthedynamical<br />
analysisofthecellcycleispioneering; thistimehepresentaninsightfulanalysisofthestochastic<br />
molecular events during the yeast cell-cycle. There were a number of younger researchers whose<br />
presentationswerestimulatingandsparkeddiscussions,notablythepresentationsofRonnyStraube,<br />
LuisMorelli,ErnestoNicola,AchimKramer. Thepostersessionswereparticularlywellattendedbyall<br />
oftheparticipants,andthisgavetheyoungerresearchersanextendedtimefordiscussionwiththemore<br />
experienced.Weaskedthoseparticipantswhopresentedashorttalkselectedfromtheabstractstoalso<br />
presentaposter,andthiscontributedtothecriticalmassfordiscussionatthesessions. Thegeneral<br />
scientificoutcomeisperhapsbestestimatedbytheexchangeofinformationbetweenexperimentalists<br />
andtheorists. Experimentalistswereintroducedtotheoreticalconceptsandpracticalitiesofmodelling.<br />
Severalreportedthattheyintendedtoseriouslyengageinmodellingtheirsystems. Theoristswere<br />
exposedtonewbiologicalsystemsandphenomena.Oneexampleofthiswasthepresentationofnewly<br />
discoveredshortperiodembryonicoscillatorsinneuralandsomitictissue.Itwasfeltthattimingwasan<br />
unusualtopicforaconference,butonethatmeritedseriousfurtherconsiderationinitsownright.<br />
TheDynamicsofNonlinearStochasticSystems,Workshop<br />
Scientificcoordinators:I.Sokolov,U.Erdmann,B.Lindner<br />
TheWorkshopbroughttogetherexpertsworkingonapplicationsofstochasticprocessesinvariousfields<br />
rangingfromneurobiologyandcellularbiophysicstoclassicalstatisticalphysics. Wewerehappyto<br />
welcomeinternationallyrenownresearcherssuchasVadimS.Anishchenko,Hans-AlbertBraun,Werner<br />
Ebeling,JordiGarciaOjalvo,PeterHänggi,JürgenKurths,JerzyLuczka,AlexanderNeiman,Arkady<br />
Pikovsky,FrancescSagués,LutzSchimansky-Geier,EckehardSchöll,andPeterTalkner. Themeeting<br />
wasdevotedtoProf.LutzSchimansky-Geierontheoccasionofhis60thbirthday.Inakeynotelecture,<br />
PeterHänggigaveanentertainingreviewofProf.Schimansky-Geier’sworkandhighlighted,inparticular,<br />
hiscontributionstothestudyofnoise-inducedphenomenainbistableandexcitablesystems,ofpattern<br />
formation,ofactiveBrownianmotion,andofsynchronizationinstochasticnonlinearsystems. Several<br />
talksatthisworkshopdealtwiththenonlinearstochasticdynamicsofvariousbiologicalsystems. Jordi<br />
GarciaOjalvopresentedexperimentalandtheoreticalstudiesofnoise-drivenexcitabilityinsimplegenetic<br />
circuits. ThedynamicsofintracellularcalciumwasdiscussedbyMartinFalcke;responsepropertiesof<br />
simplemodelneurons(talkbyJanFreund)andofmechano-sensitivehaircells(presentedbyAlexander<br />
Neiman)werefurtherhighlights. A numberof speakersdevotedtheirtalksto adeeperdiscussion<br />
ofnoise-inducedphenomenasuchasnoise-inducedtransportinperiodicstructures(Jerzy̷Luczka)or<br />
coherenceresonanceinsystemswithtypeIortypeIIexcitabilityanddelayedfeedback(EckehardSchöll).<br />
Somewhatrelatedtothelatterproblem, VadimAnishchenkodiscussedthemoregeneraltheoretical<br />
problemofhowthenotionofself-sustainedoscillationscanbegeneralizedinastochasticsetting. A<br />
moreappliedbutlikewisefascinatingproblemwasaddressedbyFrancescSagués; hepresentedboth<br />
experimental and theoretical results on transport and diffusion of paramagnetic colloids, which are<br />
drivenandcontrolledbymagneticfields. ArkadyPikovskyshowedresultsonthestabilityofsolitons<br />
ondisorderednonlinearlattices,andJürgenKurthsdiscussednovelapproachesonnetwork-analysisof<br />
WorkshopReports 141
Change language