The Weizmann Institute of Science Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science Mathematical Analysis and Applications Seminar Guy Shinar Department of Molecular Cell Biology, WIS. will speak on Structural sources of robustness in biochemical reaction networks Lecture Hall, Room 1, Ziskind Building on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 11:00 - noon Mathematical Analysis and Applications Seminar Web Page: http://www.wisdom.weizmann.ac.il/~vered/analsem.html Abstract: In-vivo variations in the concentrations of biomolecular species are inevitable. These variations in turn propagate along networks of chemical reactions and modify the concentrations of still other species, which influence biological activity. Because excessive variations in the amounts of certain active species might hamper cell function, regulation systems have evolved that act to maintain concentrations within tight bounds. In the present talk we will state a theorem that identifies simple yet subtle structural attributes that impart concentration robustness to any mass action network possessing them. We thereby describe a large class of robustness-inducing networks that already embraces two quite different biochemical modules for which concentration robustness has been observed experimentally: the E. coli osmoregulation system EnvZ-OmpR and the glyoxylate bypass control system IDHKP-IDH. The structural attributes identified here might confer robustness far more broadly. Joint work with Martin Feinberg. --------------------------------------------------------- Technion Math Net-2 (TECHMATH2) Editor: Gershon Wolansky Announcement from: Diana Mandelik