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Center for Nonlinear Studies |
In this talk I will review how the physical principles and concepts of nonlinear dynamics can contribute to better understanding of Living Systems, in particular of complex diseases such as cancer. I will introduce simple approaches we have developed to learn from the physical properties of individual cells: in particular insights we gain from the shape dynamics of cells, and from the spatial patterning of molecules within a cell. However, despite in depth characterization of physical parameters, a single cell is rarely enough to establish a disease phenotype. Instead, an individual cell from a diseased patient may appear healthy, and a cell from a patient with the disease may appear normal e.g. in terms of its shape and physical properties. In other words, most diseases are emergent properties of cell groups. Thus, in the second part of my talk I will introduce new approaches to analyze and gain insights from the emergent behavior of groups of cells.
Host: Bob Ecke, T-CNLS