Return to Colloquia & Seminar listing
Mathematical Models of Transcription in Physiological Processes
Mathematical Biology| Speaker: | Richard Yamada, University of Michigan |
| Location: | 2112 MSB |
| Start time: | Thu, Jan 20 2011, 4:10PM |
Description
Transcription is the first step in gene expression and the process where
most regulation of gene expression occurs. In this talk, we explore the mathematics
of transcription in various physiological processes. First, we discuss a chemical
kinetic model of the elongation dynamics of transcription. The proposed mathematical
model governs the discrete movement of the RNA polymerase along a DNA strand.
Parameter estimation methods to compare the model's output to experimental data will
be addressed. Next we explore the role of transcription in circadian clocks. Using a
detailed model of mammalian circadian clocks, we show the importance of molecular
noise in the absence of a core transcriptional activator during time-keeping.
Surprisingly, when noisy cells are coupled together in network, collective rhythms
begin to emerge. We hypothesize that transcription noise acts to kickstart rhythms
in the entire suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) network. We end with a discussion of the
mathematics of noise and oscillators.
Tea at 3:45, room TBD
Host: Alex Mogilner mogilner@math.ucdavis.edu