Systems biophysics: An opportunity for Filipino researchers

Abstract

The increasing importance of computational approaches in Systems Biology in general and in Systems Biophysics in particular creates unique opportunities for Filipino researchers to participate in leadingedger, world class research. One approach which has been successfully implemented in the SMILES (Statistics, Mathematics and Informatics in the Life and Environmental Sciences) initiative at UP Diliman is the JEM (Joint Experimenter-Modeler) project. In these projects, computational groups (mostly at the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Computer Science) work closely with experimental groups both here in the Philippines and abroad. These JEM efforts however also highlight the need for bridging approaches from physics and informatics (= computer science). The talk will illustrate this with examples of ongoing work and research opportunities in two areas: chronobiology (the science of the temporal organization of organisms) and membrane biology (membranes being the basis for spatial organization in cells).