Summer school: Computational and Mathematical Modeling for Plant Systems Biology September 1-5, 2008, VIB Department of Plant Systems Biology and Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium Plant science is evolving from a reductionistic view on gene function to an integrated systems biology approach, in which gene functions are studied in the context of the dynamic behavior of physiological, cellular, or developmental processes. Mathematical and computational modeling play a central role in this multiscale systems biology approach. This summer school will bring together a wide range of computational systems biologists, working on problems at different organizational levels, relevant to plant biologists. The course will start with phenomena occurring at the subcellular and cellular scale, including photosynthesis, cell cycle regulation and the organization of the cytoskeleton. Then it will gradually "scale up" to the tissue, organ, and whole plant levels. It will conclude with pattern formation in tissues, the mechanics of growth, and whole plant development and evolution. Program The course will include a series of general lectures aimed at a general audience of plant biologists, and in-depth afternoon computer lab sessions introducing participants to the underlying mathematical and computational techniques. A PDF poster is in the attachment. For more information and registration, please go to http://www.psb.ugent.be/plantmodels. Organizers: - Roeland Merks (roeland.merks@psb.ugent.be) - Gerrit Beemster - Dirk Inzé - Xavier Draye Speakers: Genetic and metabolic networks - Xin-Guang Zhu (Urbana, IL, USA). Photosynthesis - Joe Pomerening (Bloomington, IN, USA). Cell cycle Single cell shape and mechanics - François Nédélec (Heidelberg, Germany). Cytoskeleton and mitosis - Bela Mulder (Amsterdam/Wageningen, Netherlands). Cell wall architecture and cytoskeleton Multicellular pattern formation - Hans Meinhardt (Tübingen, Germany). Reaction-diffusion models. - Verônica Grieneisen (Utrecht, Netherlands). Auxin fluxes in the developing root. - Richard Smith (Bern, Switzerland). Auxin fluxes during phyllotactic patterning. Plant growth mechanics - Alain Goriely (University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA). Tip growth and vine twining - Roeland Merks (VIB Department of Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium). Cell-based modeling of plant tissues Whole plant development and evolution. - Xavier Draye (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium). Whole plant modeling, model integration - Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz (Calgary, Canada). Whole plant modeling and evo-devo of plants -- ================================================================== Roeland Merks Group Leader "Plant Systems Modeling" Tel:32 (0)9 3313823 Fax:32 (0)9 3313809 VIB DEPARTMENT OF PLANT SYSTEMS BIOLOGY, UGent Technologiepark 927, 9052 Gent, BELGIUM roeland.merks@psb.ugent.be http://www.psb.ugent.be ==================================================================