›› Computational Biomodelling Laboratory

 Åbo Akademi University, Department of Information Technologies

 Turku Centre for Computer Science

The research of the laboratory centers on the computational modelling of biochemical systems. The approach is to understand as computations the myriad of biochemical processes that evolve in parallel, influence each other, propagate signals, or cooperate on various tasks. Our goal is to increase the understanding of how entire cells adapt, communicate, and survive in dynamic environments, all in terms of computations. Having sound computational models for a biochemical system allows one to employ formal reasoning about its pathways or regulatory networks, formulating predictions and/or running simulations. Such models are also useful for designing novel sorts of computations based on the principles that underline the functioning of bio-systems. Our group is leading research on computational bio-processes, including computational processes in living cells, as well as nature-inspired human-designed computations. The general interest of the laboratory is gaining an understanding of fundamental structures behind the functioning of all kinds of bio-systems. We have considerable expertise in building discrete models, based on combinatorics, graph theory, stochastic processes, etc.

NEW: COMBIO PhD student Diana-Elena Gratie accepted at the Oxford Summer School in Systems Biology

Combio PhD student Diana-Elena Gratie was accepted at the Oxford Summer School in Systems Biology (http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/research/genome/summer_school). The summer school will take place in Oxford, from July 9th until August 17th. It is part of a yearly event ran by the Genome Analysis Group at Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, aimed at “outstanding students (…) with a strong background in mathematics, statistics, computer science, physics or chemistry.”

The participants in the school will work on highly relevant problems at the forefront of computational biology and bioinformatics. Each project will be run by 5-member teams, consisting of three undergraduate students, one graduate student, and one postdoc, thus creating the critical mass needed for real progress, with a view towards publishing the results. A set of lectures and tutorials will also be organized.

The competition for the school was very tough, with many excellent applications from all over the world competing for very few available places. Short-listed applicants were interviewed individually, with questions ranging from combinatorics to probabilities, data representation and algorithms. Diana-Elena Gratie is a PhD student at Åbo Akademi, Department of Information Technologies, and part of the Computational Biomodelling Laboratory, under supervision of Prof. Ion Petre.

Congratulations to Diana and good luck in this exciting challenge.

Last updated: 05th of March 2012 at 10:55