Mathematics Colloquia and Seminars

Return to Colloquia & Seminar listing

T cells, which are part of the immune system, can be viewed as input-output machines (where the input is an antigen, and the output is an immune response, e.g., cell killing or the release of cytokines). The input-output relationship has many complex properties. For example, in some cases, a periodic input can give a stronger response (known in control theory as a "band-pass") and, in some cases, a weaker response ("band-stop"), than a constant input. Due in part to their successful use in cell-based therapies, there is an acute need for mathematical models that allow optimization of the outputs. We present a few such models: One model is conceptually simple and explains the qualitative behaviors (band pass versus band stop, and what distinguishes these) but is not quantitatively accurate. At the other extreme, one model is quantitatively predictive but resembles a "hairball" or a "closed box". Finally, we present a model that is both quantitatively accurate and conceptually simple. This provides a method to balance conceptual interpretability and quantitative accuracy in the description of a whole-cell response to a signal.

Also on Zoom: https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/92718892837