The talk will take place at the Radium Hospital, Montbello, Institute for Cancer Research (the new research building), meeting room, top floor, from 11.30 - 12.30.
The lifetime of individual cells is much shorter than the lifetime of the organism of which they are part, but the structure and function of the organism remains relatively stable - as individuals, we are recognisable for tens or hundreds of cell lifetimes. How can this continuous flux of cells generate stability? Can computational modelling of cellular interaction lead to an understanding of homeostasis, degenerative diseases and ageing?The talk will concentrate on cellular interactions in epithelial tissues, with a particular emphasis on the development of epithelial tissues in vitro, and the wound healing process. Each cell is represented by an individual software agent which exists in a virtual environment, can grow and divide, exchange signals with other cells, form bonds, and interact physically with other cells. The long term aim is to develop a virtual cell biology to complement experimental cell biology.
