Quantitative Approaches to Cell Motility and Chemotaxis

Mathematical modeling and computer simulations have been used recently as complementary tools in cell biological and biophysical research of cell motility with an astonishing frequency. Thequantitative models test feasibility of proposed qualitative molecular mechanisms of motility and generate novel hypotheses to be tested in future experiments. The workshop will focus on various quantitative models of cell crawling and such its aspects as actin based protrusion, myosin driven contraction, dynamic adhesion, and biochemical regulation of motility. Also, models of chemotaxis in both eukaryotic cells and bacteria will be discussed. Not only detailed physico-chemical models employing differential equations and large scale stochastic simulations will be presented, but also causal, Boolean networks, Bayesian models, etc., will be discussed. Modeling talks will be paired with reviews of experimental data and short tutorials on computational techniques. We will discuss the tantalizing possibility of complete theoretical understanding of mechanochemical integration of the processes ofprotrusion, adhesion, contraction, lf-polarization and direction sensing into cell migration cycle.Speakers and audience will be a mix of mathematicians, biologists, physicists and engineers including young people interested in work at the math/bio interface.