Attend Pierobon presentation this Thursday

Massimiliano Pierobon
Massimiliano Pierobon

Presentation by Massimiliano Pierobon
"Information and Communication Theory with Biochemical and Molecular Components"
Thursday, February 13
4 p.m.
Beadle N172

Abstract: Ever since the discovery of the DeoxyriboNucleic Acid (DNA) as the genetic material, it is widely understood that information and communications are at the basis of living organisms. Even the most simple and fundamental organisms, the biological cells, not only store, express, and propagate their genetic content to their offsprings, but also incessantly receive and process information from the external environment, and modify their behavior accordingly. Despite the importance of information in understanding the mechanisms of life, the origin of diseases, and even attempting to forward-engineer biology, is information and communication theory, the mathematical science devoted to information and its propagation, currently utilized in biology at its full potential? The focus of this talk will be in understanding how information in systems that include living organisms, both natural and engineered, can be measured and its propagation can be modeled through the lenses of information and communication theory, with highlights from systems and synthetic biology, neuroscience, and bioinformatics. Novel research results will be presented along with a novel generation of devices able to seamlessly interconnect biochemistry with electronics.