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"Biological Physics Seminar: Evolution and Robustness in Gene Networks" | The Racah Institute of Physics

"Biological Physics Seminar: Evolution and Robustness in Gene Networks"

Date: 
Tue, 06/01/201514:00-15:30
Location: 
Danciger B building, Seminar room
Lecturer: Prof. Leon Glass
Affiliation: McGill University
Abstract:
Genetic activity is partially regulated by a
complicated network of proteins called
transcription factors. I will describe a
mathematical framework to relate the
structure and dynamics of these genetic
networks. The underlying idea is to capture the
topology and logic of the network interactions
by a Boolean network, and to then embed the
logical network into continuous piecewise
linear differential equations. The equations can
be analyzed using methods from discrete
mathematics and nonlinear dynamics. By
changing the logical structure randomly, it is
possible to evolve the networks in an effort to
identify networks that display rare dynamics -
e.g. networks with long stable cycles or with a
high level of topological entropy. I also
consider the concept of robustness in the
context of these equations and argue that
robustness should be a key feature of genetic
networks underlying important biological
functions.