BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:The complexity\, modularity and evolution of self-assembling struc
 tures in biology  - Dr Sebastian Ahnert\, TCM\, Cavendish Laboratory
DTSTART:20141024T130000Z
DTEND:20141024T140000Z
UID:TALK55263@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Eileen Nugent
DESCRIPTION:One of the most rigorous quantitative definitions of complexit
 y is the notion of algorithmic complexity\, discovered independently by Ko
 lmogorov and Chaitin. It is based on the idea that the length of the short
 est algorithmic description of a set of data can tell us about the complex
 ity of the data. Here we will employ this principle to measure the physica
 l complexity of a structure\, with a particular focus on self-assembling b
 iological structures. Self-assembly is a widespread process in biology\, a
 nd is essential in the formation of structures such as DNA\, protein compl
 exes\, and viruses. By minimising the information required to specify the 
 building blocks and interactions that give rise to a structure\, we obtain
  a quantitative measure of the structure's complexity. Using a genetic alg
 orithm with the building blocks as a genotype and the assembled structure 
 as a phenotype we can investigate a number of questions\, including how mo
 dularity and symmetry arises in evolution. We then apply this approach to 
 study the evolution\, assembly and classification of protein complexes and
  discover new fundamental organising principles\, which result in a period
 ic table of protein complexes.
LOCATION:Small Lecture Theatre\, Cavendish Laboratory
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR