Forthcoming events in this series


Fri, 15 Feb 2013
14:00
L1

Molecular information processing and cell fate decisions

Prof Michael Stumpf
(Imperial College)
Abstract

In this talk I will discuss recent developments in information theoretical approaches to fundamental

molecular processes that affect the cellular decision making processes. One of the challenges of applying

concepts from information theory to biological systems is that information is considered independently from

meaning. This means that a noisy signal carries quantifiably more information than a unperturbed signal.

This has, however, led us to consider and develop new approaches that allow us to quantify the level of noise

contributed by any molecular reactions in a reaction network. Surprisingly this analysis reveals an important and hitherto

often overlooked role of degradation reactions on the noisiness of biological systems. Following on from this I will outline

how such ideas can be used in order to understand some aspects of cell-fate decision making, which I will discuss with

reference to the haematopoietic system in health and disease.

Fri, 01 Feb 2013
14:00
L1

Polymer translocation across membranes’

Professor Sandip Ghosal
(Northwestern University)
Abstract

The operation of sub-cellular processes in living organisms often require the transfer of biopolymers across impermeable lipid membranes. The emergence of new experimental techniques for manipulation of single molecules at nanometer scales have made possible in vitro experiments that can directly probe such translocation processes in cells as well as in synthetic systems. Some of these ideas have spawned novel bio-technologies with many more likely to emerge in the near future. In this talk I would review some of these experiments and attempt to provide a quantitative understanding of the data in terms of physical laws, primarily mechanics and electrostatics.