Bridging Theory with Experiment at All Scales

Stochasticity affects biology at all scales. Molecular fluctuations impact cell phenotypes and fates, cell fluctuations influence population dynamics and tissue development, and population fluctuations are central to the mechanisms of ecology and evolution. Understanding the origins and functional consequences of these fluctuations requires bringing together scientists with diverse backgrounds and a mixture of theoretical and experimental approaches. The Stochastic Physics in Biology GRC unites physical scientists interested in stochastic processes with molecular and cell biologists interested in biological heterogeneity. The goal is to develop a quantitative description of biological processes by applying the conceptual frameworks of statistical mechanics and stochastic processes to molecular function and transport, cellular and sub-cellular properties, multicellular interactions and development, and population-level evolution and ecology. Accomplishing this goal will have direct implications for diseases involving cellular heterogeneity such as cancer, stem cell differentiation/tissue engineering, and bacterial infections. This is made possible by the unique environment at GRC five-day events, which includes talks from scientists at all career stages, poster sessions, communal meals, and a secluded setting with dedicated activity time to promote networking and collaborations.

In addition to the poster sessions, we have set aside more than 20 short talk slots to be selected from submitted abstracts.