Information Flow in Biological Systems

1-2 July 2015
St Mary’s College, Durham University
Workshop Chair: Tom McLeish, University of Durham; and Peter Weightman, University of Liverpool

St Mary’s College, Durham University

This meeting is the fifth of a series of focussed workshops which will consider several themes of the EPSRC NetworkPlus in ‘Understanding the Physics of Life’, which have developed through intensive discussion of participants during the network’s earlier plenary conference events.

Here we will focus on the specific challenges at the physical/life sciences interface relating to the vital information-processing properties of the multiscale structures of living organisms. All of living matter thrives on out-of-equilibrium states, where the information-theoretic form of the second law tells us that information and its transmission and loss is a fundamental measure. At more specific levels, genetic information needs to translate into development and form, gene networks need to switch on and off expression, and at the neurological level, brains both simple and advanced need to process information about an organisms environment and translate it into action to meet its needs. At the single protein level – binding and cooperativity can be expressed in information processing language. We will attempt to bring the different levels of this perspective on life together, and ask if this suggests new avenues of investigation in the future.

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Purpose

Our Focussed Workshop will provide a mechanism to nucleate new collaborative partnerships that will lead to outstanding science and the award of grants by research councils. Discussion sessions will be a very important element of the event, and it is hoped that all attendees will come ready to engage fully in that element of the programme. Our aim by the close of the meeting is to have seeded potential new collaborations and novel lines of cutting-edge interdisciplinary research in this area.

Who should attend?

We invite participation by academics (including early- and mid-career research fellows), clinical researchers and industrial scientists in the UK who are interested in the central goal of generating new collaborative research interactions at the physical/life sciences interface focussed on challenging questions pertaining to information flow in biological systems. The main business of these meetings will be to provide opportunities for researchers to talk and interact through, for example, brief flash presentations, speed-dating exercises, poster presentations, facilitated discussions and other activities.

Confirmed speakers and their talk titles

Prof Robert R De Ruyter, Biophysics & Program in Neural Science, Indiana University
‘An experimental perspective on visual information processing in the fly’
Prof Arieh Ben-Naim, Professor Emeritus of Physical Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
‘Application of information and thermodynamics in living systems; from Maxwell’s Demon To Schrödinger’s ideas on negative-entropy food’
Dr. Robert Endres, Reader in Systems Biology, Imperial College London
‘How information processing gives rise to behaviour: lessons from bacterial chemotaxis’
Prof Tom McLeish, Department of Physics, Durham University
‘Thermal Noise Can Carry Information – and other paradoxes in biological information flow’
Prof Peter Weightman, Physics Department & Surface Science Research Centre, University of Liverpool
‘The Frölich hypothesis’

Programme

Day 1

12.30	Registration and Lunch
13.15	Introduction – Tom McLeish
13.25	PLENARY: “Application of information and thermodynamics in living systems; from Maxwell’s Demon To Schrödinger’s ideas on negative-entropy food” Prof Arieh Ben-Naim, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
14.25	TALK 1: “How information processing gives rise to behaviour: lessons from bacterial chemotaxis” Dr. Robert Endres, Imperial College London.
15.05	Coffee break
15.20	Discussion sessions – important issues in ‘information flow in biology’
16.10	Discussions report back
16.30	Flash presentations – approx. 10 presenters
17.00	Presenters put up A3 sheet highlighting their area/issues/capabilities/questions/problems ready for discussion
17.30	Flash presentations – approx. 10 presenters
18.00	Presenters put up A3 sheet highlighting their area/issues/capabilities/questions/problems ready for discussion
18.30	Break for Break for delegates to check into accommodation or enjoy the cash bar before dinnerto check into accommodation or enjoy the hotel cash bar before dinner
19.15	Dinner
20.30	TALK 2: “Thermal Noise Can Carry Information – and other paradoxes in biological information flow” Tom McLeish, Durham University.
21.10	Cash bar available to guests

Day 2

9.00	TALK 3: “ An experimental perspective on visual information processing in the fly” Robert R De Ruyter, Indiana University.
9.40	Flash presentations – approx. 10 presenters
10.10	Presenters put up A3 sheet highlighting their area/issues/capabilities/questions/problems ready for discussion
10.40	Coffee Break
10.50	Discussion sessions – funding focuses and challenges
11.40	Discussions report back
12.00	TALK 4: “The Frölich hypothesis” Peter Weightmann, University of Liverpool.
12.40	Final thoughts
12.45	Lunch

Registration

This workshop is heavily subsidised by the Network, and the full registration fee of only £95 includes lunch on both days and dinner, bed and breakfast for the night of July 1st. Booking has now closed.

A limited number of places are also available for a tour of Durham Cathedral and Magna Carta exhibition in Durham Library, following lunch on the afternoon of 2nd July.  This will be a great opportunity to visit more of the city and further network with delegates.  For those joining us on the tour only, travel to the Cathedral/Library and then onto the train station for approx 4pm (with luggage) will be included.  This tour is now fully booked.

For those delegates not joining us for the tour, the conference is due to close after lunch between 13:30-14:00pm.
If you have any further questions about this event, please do not hesitate to contact Christina Metcalfe, Network Coordinator at: c.metcalfe@sheffield.ac.uk