2012 Aspen Winter Conference Growth and Form: Pattern Formation in Biology; Aspen Center for Physics; Aspen, CO.; January 2 - 7, 2012

Aspen Center For Physics, Aspen CO

Investigators

Abstract

ID: MPS/DMR/BMAT(7623) 1156065 PI: Marchetti, Christina ORG: Aspen Center for Physics Title: 2012 Aspen Winter Conference Growth and Form: Pattern Formation in Biology INTELLECTUAL MERIT: The quantitative understanding of the origin of the complex variety of patterns found in nature has challenged scientist for centuries. Such patterns range from the morphology of embryonic and adult organisms to vein structures in plants, to the organization of birds in large flocks that exhibit coordinated behavior. Thanks to advances in imaging techniques on various scale and computer modeling, we are now making progress in connecting the cellular or single individual scale to the organism or large group scale. The goal of the conference is to bring together physicists, chemists, mathematicians, engineers, and biologists who are using physical principles, statistical mechanics, and modeling to approach problems such as developmental biology, biomineralization, and flocking. BROADER IMPACTS: The organizers of this Aspen Winter Conference have made a special effort to increase the diversity of the group of invited speakers. Currently nine of the twenty invited speakers are women and six are junior scientists. The organizers will also work to attract a large number of junior participants. Several will be selected to give contributed talks. The conference will host an Aspen Winter Public Lecture on some aspect of pattern formation in biology. The lecture will be held on Wednesday evening at the Wheeler Opera House, in downtown Aspen and preceded by a ?Meet the Physicist? session where members of the Aspen community will meet informally with two of the conference participants for a question and answer session. The Winter Public Lecture will also be broadcast on local television GrassRoots TV 12 and streamed over the internet. Finally, to ensure broad dissemination of conference material slides and other content of the conference will be posted on the conference website.