Design Principles of Biological Networks

Organizers:

Kishore Hari and Pradyumna Harlapur (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Theoretical Biological Physics), Pradyumna Harlapur, PhD Candidate, Dept. of BioEngineering, Indian Institute of Science

Description:

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) are networks of interacting genes and regulatory elements that govern the expression of genes in a cell and, hence, the decisions they make when undergoing a biological process. GRNs take a holistic approach by incorporating the relevant regulatory elements governing cellular processes, allowing researchers to model and estimate complex biological processes' properties accurately. Studies of these networks have identified 'design principles' that influence their function, and these common patterns have been observed across contexts and shown to lead to behaviors like robustness, adaptability, and plasticity. The rise of high-throughput data has also led to the development of GRN inference tools, which incorporate various modalities of gene regulation, leading to the creation of detailed, context-specific GRNs. This progress motivates the renewed importance of studying such networks to better understand how various processes are coordinated and carried out in the cell and how any divergence from normal behavior can be corrected using the insights gained from studying such networks. In this mini-symposium, we gather a group of scientists studying the design principles of biological networks across diverse contexts to encourage discussions about identifying, analyzing, and controlling such design patterns, thereby advancing research and discovery in network biology.

Diversity Statement:

Our goal for the mini-symposium is to create an inclusive platform where researchers at every stage of their careers—early-career faculty, tenured faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and PhD candidates—can present and engage in discussions about their work. By uniting diverse perspectives from fields such as Mathematics, Physics, and Biology, we aim to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration and ensure that all voices are represented, fostering meaningful dialogue to promote academic growth.