Math Biology Seminar: The Min system in E.coli: A stochastic polymer model and new ideas for experiments

  • Date: 09/22/2009
Lecturer(s):
Peter Borowski, UBC
Location: 

University of British Columbia

Topic: 

The Min system in E.coli: A stochastic polymer model and new
ideas for experiments

Description: 

The Min system in E.coli -- a group of three interacting proteins
playing a role in cell division -- has attracted a lot of attention by
modellers, some claiming it to be the 'measurement stick' in the
rod-shaped bacterium. Different models have been proposed to explain the
observed dynamical patterns -- oscillations, standing and travelling
waves. Here, we will focus on a simple polymerisation/depolymerisation
model. The model provides an interesting example of a stochastic hybrid
dynamical system and we use probabilistic maps to compute probability
distributions of experimentally accessible quantities. As a step towards
model discrimination I will report on experiments we conducted on
GFP-labelled E.coli.

Schedule: 

2:00pm-3:00pm, WMAX 110

Other Information: 

For details, please visit the official website at:

http://www.math.ubc.ca/Research/MathBio/seminarsMB.php

Sponsor: 

pims

mitacs