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Center for Nonlinear Studies |
Biological processes are “noisy” and often exhibit large cell-to-cell variability in their operation, even in genetically identical cellular backgrounds. Probing the dynamics of biological processes in single cells has allowed us to acquire detailed snapshots of the stochastic processes that establish such cellular variability, while uncovering a cohort of new challenges and opportunities. How do we link the stochastic phenomenon to its exact molecular implementation? What are the appropriate experimental and mathematical frameworks to interpret single cell data? Are interpretations specific to the system, or are there general biological motifs and control strategies used to attenuate or exploit noise? And most notably, how do we assess the impact of biological noise in important cellular processes on the fitness of an organism? In this talk, we expand on these questions using a variety of examples. Specifically, we adopt and advocate the viewpoint that stochastic behaviors can be exploited for efficient system identification of biological circuits, while providing a fertile ground for mathematical and experimental innovation.
Host: Ilya Nemenman, CCS-3