Biocomputation

28-29 March 2017,
St Chad's College, Durham University
Workshop Chairs: Sarah Harris, Viv Kendon, Agnes Noy, Susan Stepney and Dominic Horsman

This meeting is part of a series of Focused Workshops delivered through the EPSRC NetworkPlus in ‘Understanding the Physics of Life 2’.
Workshop Overview:
The ability of living systems store and process complex genetic information in a manner that is responsive to the external environment has inspired the development of the multidisciplinary field of Biocomputation, which aims to build computational devices using biomolecular systems.

This workshop aims to bring together researchers with expertise or interest in biocomputation with specialists in gene regulation, bioinformatics, biochemical network modelling and computer science. Topics for discussion will include

1. Biocomputation: The state of the art, successes and difficulties
   Bacterial and eukaryotic gene regulation, minimal organsims: How can we learn from life?
2. Languages and models for bioinformatics and biocomputation: How do we represent and describe the complex network of interactions between computing biological components?
3. Measurement and detection: What experimental tools are available for detecting the output of a biocomputation? Is there potential for both single molecule and thermodynamically averaged devices? What are the merit and limitations of each?
4. Understanding and applications: What are the potential future applications for this technology? What new scientific insights could be gained?

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 academic, industrial and clinical 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 biocomputation. 

Programme

biocomp_workshop_prog.pdf
File Size:	525 kb
File Type:	pdf

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Registration

This event is heavily subsidised by PoLNet2 and by the Durham Biophysical Sciences Institute. Registration includes accommodation for the night of the 28 March and all meeting costs (excluding travel costs).
Registration Fee: £20. This is payable by the following methods:

• Direct bank transfer (BACS): Please contact [email protected] for more details.
• Telephone payment (0191 334 6912): Please quote "Physics of Life Biocomputation Workshop" when making the payment.
• Please make any cheques payable to Durham University and send to the following address: Alex Probert, C/O Department of Chemistry, Biophysical Sciences Institute, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE.www.durham.ac.uk/biocomputation/registration/

Registration for this event has now closed. 

Directions

The meeting will take place at St Chad's College, Durham University. Maps and directions.