Pattern formation in biology by reaction-diffusion systems
Pattern formation in biology by reaction-diffusion systems
- Event time: 11:30am
- Event date: 14th November 2012
- Speaker: Philip Greulich (Formerly School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Edinburgh)
- Location: Room 2511, James Clerk Maxwell Building (JCMB) James Clerk Maxwell Building Peter Guthrie Tait Road Edinburgh EH9 3FD GB
Event details
Higher organisms are characterised by a well-defined spatial structure of different tissue types. But how can such tissue patterns be formed in a (genetically) controlled way, starting from a homogeneous clump of cells? The information for cells to specialise and form different tissue types (differentiation) is carried and mediated by certain chemical messengers, called morphogens. In this seminar I will show how diffusion and interactions between morphogens ("reaction-diffusion systems") can lead to well-defined, spatially inhomogeneous, morphogen distributions that determine the spatial organisation of tissues by controlling cell differentiation. Importantly, this gives a hint how spatial information can be encoded in the genome.
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