Articles tagged with Biological Models
Joyce Tait discusses re-engineering biological components through computational modelling and bio-systems design technologies. She emphasizes the need for an equitable balance between promoting innovation and ensuring safety in synthetic biology.
A new computational model shows that regular crop rotations switching every other year may not be optimal for maximizing crop yield when threatened by plant pathogens. The analysis identified patterns of crop rotation that maintain soil quality and diminish pathogen load, suggesting a more sustainable approach to agriculture.
A new mathematical model predicts the presence of undetectable metastases based on primary tumor size, which is associated with a poorer prognosis. The model accurately reflects clinical study data for several cancer types, highlighting the potential dangers of delays in surgery for smaller tumors.
A team of scientists predicts that emperor penguin colonies will decline drastically due to global warming, with 5-6°C temperature increase leading to near-total collapse. Climate models show that sea ice melting will deprive the birds of habitat and food sources, threatening their survival.
A University of Pittsburgh professor is developing an artificial intelligence database to identify bird calls and support conservation efforts. The project, funded by a $91,208 grant, will create free, open-source models for researchers, agencies, and citizen scientists to analyze acoustic field recordings.
Researchers argue that observed patterns in evolution arise from statistical fluctuations rather than underlying causes. This 'push of the past' bias affects many areas of life and can lead to misleading conclusions if not recognized.
A new model simulates the metabolic effects of exercise on an individual level, accounting for factors such as age, weight, and exercise type. This allows for better understanding of how exercise prevents diseases and improves health outcomes.
Vanderbilt researchers are developing a new surgical planning tool to improve voice outcomes for patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis. By analyzing the aerodynamics of cicada wings, they aim to create customized implants that optimize voice production and breathing.
A study investigated tau phosphorylation-related targets for Alzheimer's disease treatment, focusing on four kinases and one phosphatase. The model suggests the role of each enzyme in AD pathogenesis and identifies potential targets for therapy. This work builds upon InSysBio's quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) modeling approach.
Don Ingber and Charles Reilly created a film that accurately depicts the fertilization of an egg by a sperm, revealing new insights into molecular-scale processes. The film's animation pipeline integrated physics-based software with molecular dynamics simulation to create a model that worked across all size scales.
Researchers found that environmental disturbances can cause sudden population collapses, making extinction easier even for large populations. This has implications for predicting and controlling viral epidemics.
A new survey investigates ideal qualities of microfluidics-based 3D cell culture systems, finding a positive attitude among the biomedical community. However, a gap remains between desired and available features, including complexity, user-friendliness, physiological relevance, and controllability.
A Tel Aviv University study finds a unique biological model of arsenic detoxification in the Entotheonella bacterium, which inhabits Theonella swinhoei sponges. The bacterium accumulates and neutralizes toxic elements, transforming them into inert products within its cells.
Researchers at Kobe University have found a primitive pathway that resembles photosynthesis in Methanospirillum hungatei, a non-photosynthesizing microbe. The team used metabolome analysis to locate trapped CO2 and proved the microbe uses this pathway to synthesize glucose.
Researchers developed a mathematical model to investigate the impact of spatial structure on cooperation evolution. The study found that lattices can hinder cooperation, contrary to previous pairwise interaction-based theories.
A study of worldwide sleep patterns combines math modeling, mobile apps and big data to parse the roles society and biology each play in setting sleep schedules. Cultural pressures can override natural circadian rhythms, with effects showing up most markedly at bedtime.
A new modeling algorithm helps plant biologists target individual genes controlling stress responses in plants. The tool narrows the field from thousands of genes to fewer than 10, making it easier to understand how to develop drought-resistant crops.
Researchers have developed new approaches to estimate overall solvent content, model disordered bulk solvent, and identify distinct electron density of ordered solvent molecules in macromolecular crystals. Advanced models are needed to improve understanding of the protein-solvent interface region.
A new study by the University of Miami uses the Weibull distribution to describe and predict illness severity across a population exposed to different chemicals. The correlated multiplicative model explains many types of results in various areas, leading to better predictions of human health risk.
Researchers from UT Arlington used mathematical modeling to simulate foreign-body reactions to implants, finding results consistent with lab tests. The model aims to improve biocompatibility and identify optimal treatments for severe inflammation and fibrotic capsule formation.
Researchers used a coupled discrete wormlike chain-Ising model to simulate DNA stretching and confirm two structural transitions at forces of around 65 pN and 135 pN. Beyond 135 pN, DNA strands peel apart into single-stranded DNAs similar to those obtained through thermal denaturation.
A new biologically accurate model of background noise in the nervous system has been developed to explain how noise induces delays in neuron responses. The researchers found that modulating two factors can help neurons encode information more accurately.
Researchers at NYU developed a method to replicate the mechanical properties of tissues using an oil-in-water solution, mimicking cell-to-cell adhesion. This breakthrough has potential industrial applications in biocompatible products and pharmaceuticals.
Researchers at NC State University have developed a new method to estimate parameters in oscillatory biological systems, allowing for more accurate and predictable models. This approach factors in the frequency of concentrations within the system, eliminating hills and valleys, making it easier to identify optimal parameters.
Researchers found that shark skin's denticles boost swimming speed by creating a turbulent flow pattern around the body, reducing drag and increasing propulsion. The unique arrangement of denticles on the skin surface enhances fluid dynamics, leading to a significant improvement in swimming performance.
A new computer model developed at the University of Illinois can simplify the transition from field to biorefinery by optimizing operations to reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The model takes into account regional attributes such as weather, crop yield, farm size and transport distances, and can run millions of simulations.
A French study found that slow information diffusion within farmer communities leads to significant delays in implementing pest management procedures. The study used a modeling framework combining social and ecological perspectives to predict the efficiency of such programs.
The DYCAST program successfully predicted where 81.6% of human cases of the West Nile virus would arise in California in 2005. By using biological parameters, the model identified high-risk areas with a risk 39 times higher than low-risk areas, allowing for targeted mosquito control and reduced human illness.
Researchers developed a new technique for using multi-core chips more efficiently, enhancing computer models of biological systems by over seven-fold. This could impact areas like drug development and biofuel engineering.
A study reanalyzed Japanese atomic bomb survivor data and found that middle-aged radiation exposure may lead to a higher cancer risk for some tumor types. The model used by the researchers suggests that adult bodies already contain larger numbers of premalignant cells, making promotion effects more likely.
A special issue of CBE—Life Sciences Education journal introduces new ways to integrate mathematical thinking into biology education and vice versa. The articles explore teaching modeling, DNA microarray analysis, fractal geometry, and more to bridge the gap between math and biology skills.
The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) awards the Julian Cole Lectureship every four years to recognize outstanding contributions to mathematical characterization and solution of challenging problems. This year, Professor John King received the award for his work on mathematical modeling of tumor growth.
Researchers at NC State University have developed a stormwater model that accurately predicts pollution impacts from proposed developments. The model uses regional data and can be easily modified for use elsewhere, allowing regulators to make informed decisions about project approvals.
David Corr's $449,999 NSF CAREER award will support his research on harnessing cells' natural abilities to improve functional tissue engineering. He aims to develop fundamental understanding of environmental stimuli on cellular growth and fiber formation.
The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) has been widely adopted by the scientific community for sharing and evaluating models of biological processes. SBML's popularity is a validation of its usefulness, with over 500 citations in an online academic database.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute developed a new computer model using mathematics to predict how environmental, medical, and physical changes affect sleep. The model provides clues to the basic dynamics of the sleep-wake cycle, offering a non-invasive way to study the brain and sleep.
The Systems Biology Graphical Notation (SBGN) provides a standardized visual language for representing biological information, making it easier to exchange complex information. The new standard will benefit systems biologists working on various biochemical processes, including gene regulation, metabolism, and cellular signaling.
Researchers highlight algebraic models as a crucial tool for undergraduate biologists, allowing them to integrate mathematical modeling into their coursework. These models focus on the logic of network connections, making them accessible to students with limited mathematical background.
A study led by UCF scientist Wade Winterhalter uses cricket reproduction patterns to predict the impact of global warming on humans. The research combines global warming models with biological predictions, simulating daily and seasonal temperature changes in crickets over a six-degree Celsius increase.
Researchers developed a search algorithm that integrated biological measurements and model simulations to identify optimal drug combinations. The study successfully identified effective treatments in two biological model systems, paving the way for personalized medicine.
A new study suggests that selfish individuals have a strategy called 'Selfish Punisher' that exploits altruists and punishes other selfish individuals, making it a successful approach in Darwinian terms. Altruism can evolve by natural selection as long as its collective advantage outweighs its local disadvantage.
A study published in Nature found that when individuals are choosy about their partners, cooperativeness increases and becomes more stable. This is because individuals with low cooperativeness are penalized by being left by their current partner for a more cooperative one.
A team of researchers from the University of Georgia has created a working model that explains how biological clocks work at the molecular level. The discovery has significant implications for understanding diseases such as cancer and sleep disorders, which are often linked to clock gene regulation.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a powerful computer model to explain the mechanism of an intein, a type of protein that cuts itself out of host proteins. The study uses quantum mechanics to reveal new insights into the reaction's behavior and potential applications in nanotechnology.
Scientists from University of Ulster's Geophysics Research Group warn of substantial loss of life possible in Bingol city after Thursday's earthquake, citing increased seismic risk. The team identified two highly stressed areas on the East Anatolian Fault Zone as most likely locations for future large events.
Virginia Tech researchers discovered that tert-butoxyl radicals are more reactive than initially thought, making them a poor model for studying oxygen-free radicals in biological systems. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the behavior of these radical species.
Rutgers is launching a National Program of Excellence in Biomedical Computing to study the biology of transcription and gene expression. The program aims to understand the molecular mechanisms that govern gene expression, which is crucial for solving pressing human health problems such as cancer and infectious diseases.
Researchers created a computational model to capture the process of one protein interfering with another's folding. This reveals the mechanisms behind 'protein adultery', where amino acids from different proteins link, causing diseases like Alzheimer's and mad cow syndrome.
The Swedish EPA has developed a new model for assessing the state of the environment, making it easier to compare local and regional areas. The model criteria cover six areas: forest landscape, agricultural landscape, groundwater, lakes and watercourses, coasts and seas, and contaminated sites.
Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory have discovered that water flows chaotically through the ground in heterogeneous soils and fractured rock environments. Chaos theory can now be used to model this non-linear process, which is crucial for environmental restoration.
Recent analysis of Mars data from the Mars Pathfinder Mission suggests that the C1 carbonaceous chondrite standard is incorrect, with Mars exhibiting a distinct elemental composition. This contradicts previous assumptions about the terrestrial planets' formation and density variations.
Researchers found that high-level expectations influence visual perception, overriding depth information in objects. This challenges the idea of veridical reflections of reality in the brain.
The USGS is developing simulation models to evaluate the effects of proposed remedial actions on stream chemistry in abandoned mine lands. These models are applied to St. Kevin Gulch, a small stream near Leadville, Colorado, providing estimates of water quality that reflect the impact of proposed actions.