Mathematical Biology of the Cell: Cytoskeleton and Motility (11w5050)

The Banff International Research Station will host the "Mathematical Biology of the Cell: Cytoskeleton and Motility" workshop from July 31st to August 5th, 2011.

centerline{bf Proposal for BIRS 5-day workshop for early Summer 2011}
centerline{bf Mathematical Biology of the Cell: Cytoskeleton and Motility}

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Organizers: David Sept, Anders Carlsson, Adriana Dawes, Leah Edelstein-Keshet

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Response to infection requires directed motion of immune cells
towards the sites of infection; wound healing also implicates
motile cells. In diseases such as cancer, unregulated cell motility
leads to metastasis, further underscoring the importance of
understanding cell motility. Underlying the process of cell motility
are complex biochemical and biophysical mechanisms that enable cells
to detect chemical signals, rearrange their internal structure
("cytoskeleton"), exert forces on their surroundings and move
towards their targets. Understanding such phenomena mandates close
cooperation between scientists who produce experimental data,
and those quantitative scientists who can help to decipher it
using tools of mathematics and physics. Discussions aimed at fostering
such collaboration will form the major theme of this workshop.

This workshop brings together top experts from biology and from
theoretical quantitative sciences (Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science) for a 5-day
intense discussion of science at the leading edge of cell motility
and the cytoskeleton. We explore the details of the molecular
machinery (actin, myosin, microtubules, and proteins that affect
these), how these are assembled in the moving cell, and their role
in cell motility. We compare normal and abnormal motility
across many cell types and conditions, and discuss promising
avenues for modeling and theoretical-experimental collaborations.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta's Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT).