L3

Averaging, either spatial or temporal, is a powerful technique in complex multi-scale systems.

However, in some situations it can be difficult to justify.

For example, many real-world networks in technology, engineering and biology have a function and exhibit dynamics that cannot always be adequately reproduced using network models given by the smooth dynamical systems and fixed network topology that typically result from averaging. Motivated by examples from neuroscience and engineering, we describe a model for what we call a "functional asynchronous network". The model allows for changes in network topology through decoupling of nodes and stopping and restarting of nodes, local times, adaptivity and control. Our long-term goal is to obtain an understanding of structure (why the network works) and how function is optimized (through bifurcation).

We describe a prototypical theorem that yields a functional decomposition for a large class of functional asynchronous networks. The result allows us to express the function of a dynamical network in terms of individual nodes and constituent subnetworks.

We adopt the paradigm of understanding how the heart develops during pregnancy as a first principal to inform on adult heart repair and regeneration. Our target for cell-based repair is the epicardium and epicardium-derived cells (EPDCs) which line the outside of the forming heart and contribute vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells to the coronary vasculature, interstitial fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes. The epicardium can also act as a source of signals to condition the growth of the underlying embryonic heart muscle. In the adult heart, whilst the epicardium is retained, it is effectively quiescent. We have sought to extrapolate the developmental potential of the epicardium to the adult heart following injury by stimulating dormant epicardial cells to give rise to new muscle and vasculature. In parallel, we seek to modulate the local environment into which the new cells emerge: a cytotoxic mixture of inflammation and fibrosis which prevents cell engraftment and integration with survived heart tissue. To this end we manipulate the lymphatic vessels in the heart given that, elsewhere in the body, the lymphatics survey the immune system and modulate inflammation at peripheral injury sites. We recently described the development of the cardiac lymphatic vasculature and revealed in the adult heart that they undergo increased vessel sprouting (lymphangiogenesis) in response to injury, to improve function, remodelling and fibrosis. We are currently investigating whether increased lymphangiogenesis functions to clear immune cells and constrain the reparative response for optimal healing.

Oxford Nanopore Technologies aim to enable the analysis of any living thing, by any person, in any environment. The world's first and only nanopore DNA
sequencer, the MinION is a portable, real time, long-read, low cost device that has been designed to bring easy biological analyses to anyone, whether in
scientific research, education or a range of real world applications such as disease/pathogen surveillance, environmental monitoring, food chain
surveillance, self-quantification or even microgravity biology. Gordon will talk the about the technology, applications and future direction.
Stuart will talk about the nanopore signal, computational methods and informatics challenges associated with reading DNA directly.