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SUMMARY:Organizing circuits and biological behaviors - Dr Alessio Franci\,
  University of Cambridge and University of Liege
DTSTART:20141120T140000Z
DTEND:20141120T150000Z
UID:TALK55875@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Tim Hughes
DESCRIPTION:Biological entities can naturally be modeled as input-output s
 ystems with an internal dynamics defined by physical\, chemical\, and othe
 r biological processes. Inputs and outputs are defined by the interactions
  with the external world. Despite the abundance of elegant input-output be
 haviors to be studied in biology\, connections between biology and control
  theory are still weak\, essentially limited to genetic networks. The need
  for stronger interactions between biology and control theory is dictated 
 by medical applications and by the development of performant biomorphic co
 ntrollers.\n\nBiological behaviors and biomedical control objectives invol
 ve intrinsically nonlinear phenomena: multi-stable switches\, nonlinear os
 cillations\, pattern formation\, nonlinear traveling waves\, just to name 
 a few\, and all behaviors possibly involving multiple spatiotemporal scale
 s. Because present control theory is maturely developed only for linear be
 haviors (stable resting\, tracking)\, a novel control theoretical paradigm
  is necessary to model biological behaviors and attack their robustness an
 d modulation study.\n\nBorrowing the concept of organizing center from sin
 gularity theory\, I will propose a methodology to realize nonlinear behavi
 ors from core circuits that reveal the fundamental role of monotonicity an
 d feedback in their robustness and modulation. Motivated by neuroscience a
 pplications\, I will introduce the core ideas of the theory on the robustn
 ess and modulation of bursting oscillations and bursting traveling waves.
LOCATION:Cambridge University Engineering Department\, LR5
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