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SUMMARY:From Physiology to Molecules: a Top-Down Approach to Systems Biolo
 gy
DTSTART:20140512T150000
DTSTAMP:20260511T072928Z
UID:903d9e8678d647e3e9cf8708445f84ff386153a1ba63209b05927d0b
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Terry Hwa\, University of California\, San Diego\, CA (U
 SA)\nDISTINGUISHED LECTURE IN BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERINGAbstract:\nThe ultimat
 e goal of systems biology is to attain a quantitative\, predictive underst
 anding of the behavior of a living system as a whole (i.e.\, physiology) f
 rom its molecular parts. A major obstacle to this endeavor is the enormous
  number of (mostly inaccessible) parameters underlying complex biological 
 systems. My lab has tried to tackle this problem using a top-down approach
  starting from cellular physiology.  In this talk\, I will show how a sim
 ple phenomenological approach in the spirit of thermodynamics can provide 
 quantitative\, predictive understanding of the physiological behaviors of 
 bacteria cells. I will present a number of linear relations describing the
  allocation of cellular resources for exponentially growing E. coli cells.
  With a few phenomenological parameters\, these "growth laws" can be used 
 to accurately predict the physiological responses to various perturbations
 \, including the fitness effect of protein over-expression\, and the abrup
 t cellular response to the application of antibiotics. Applying the top-do
 wn approach to the endogenous response of E. coli to different modes of nu
 trient limitation\, we reveal key molecular interactions enabling seamless
  coordination between different branches of metabolism -- interactions whi
 ch Monod pursued until the end of his life but remained elusive despite de
 cades of extensive molecular studies.Bio:\nEducation:\nPh. D. in Physics\,
  1990\nMassachusetts Institute of Technology\, Cambridge\, MA\nthesis: Sta
 tistical mechanics and dynamics of surfaces and membranes\nB.S. in Physics
 \, Biology\, and Electrical Engineering\, 1986\nStanford University\, Stan
 ford\, CA\nphysics thesis : The electroweak contribution to the muon's g-2
  anomaly\nEE thesis: Laser-recrystallization and silicon-on-insulator devi
 ce structure\nCareer:\nProfessor\, 07/2009 -- present\nSection of Molecula
 r Biology\, Division of Biological Sciences\, U.C. San Diego\nProfessor\, 
 07/99 -- present\nDepartment of Physics\, Divison of Physical Sciences\, U
 .C. San Diego\nDistinguished Visiting Professor\, 11/2008 -- present\nDepa
 rtment of Physics and Department of Biochemistry\, The University of Hong 
 Kong\nChang Jiang Visitor Professor\, 09/2002 -- 08/2007\nCenter for Advan
 ced Study\, Tsinghua University \, Beijing\, China\nVisting Professor\, 19
 99\nCenter for Studies in Physics and Biology\, Rockefeller University\, N
 ew York\nAssociate Professor\, 07/95 -- 06/99\nDepartment of Physics\, Div
 ision of Natural Sciences\, U.C. San Diego\nAssistant Professor\, 08/94 --
  06/95\nDepartment of Physics\, State University of New York\, Stony Brook
 \, NY\nLong-term Member\, 09/93 -- 08/94\nSchool of Natural Sciences\, Ins
 titute for Advanced Study\, Princeton\, NJ\nPost-doctoral Fellow\, 09/90 -
 - 08/93\nDepartment of Physics\, Harvard University\, Cambridge\, MA
LOCATION:SV1717A http://map.epfl.ch/?room=sv1717a
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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