Dynamics in Living Systems: Physics of Genetic and Cellular Systems

This lecture introduces the research conducted in the lab focusing on the physics of genetic and cellular systems. The instructor discusses the complexity of studying living systems at the molecular scale, the forces that hold matter together, and the physics of genetic circuits. The lecture delves into the exploration of fragility, robustness, and redundancy in biological systems, the interplay between negative feedback loops and incoherent feedforward loops, and the detection of key negative feedback loops responsible for cell cycle timing. The instructor also explains the study of sensory motor networks in the C. elegans brain and the theoretical analysis of checkpoint strategies. The lecture concludes with a discussion on the potential for speeding up cell cycles and the challenges in understanding the dynamics of biological networks.