Mathematical Biology Seminar: David Holloway (BCIT)

What dynamic processes are responsible for the development of complex body plans? I will approach this from a chemical perspective, looking at what types of dynamics can form spatial concentration patterns. I will discuss two areas in which we are exploring the conditions for chemical patterning in development. At the fine scale, stochastic modelling of gene regulation in early fruit fly embryos shows the degree to which self-feedback can limit noise in protein patterns - a key component for reliable development. At a broader scale, plants are continuously growing over their life cycles, and here we are looking at how the interaction of chemical pattern (3D reaction-diffusion modelling) and domain growth can create the shapes of plants.