Computing in the Life Sciences

Stephen Emmott

Microsoft Research Cambridge

Context:

‘New kinds’ of science

What we are doing:

Inventing and building new kinds of tools pioneering new kinds of science

Integrate theoretical, experimental, computational science

1:Revolutionising biological modelling

Codification of biology: 4 letters [genome] > 20 letters +3D position [proteome] > networks [pathways] > processes [e.g. immune system]

Process calculi: -calculus: Tool=SPiM

Compositionality, parallelism, abstraction: a language for programming biology

P-system models, beta-binders [apoptosis]

Artificial biochemistry > library of gene gates > artificial complex biological systems: Enabling new kind of in-silico biology

2:Advancing immunology

MHC Antigen presentation

3:Understanding Earth’s life Support System

Integrating climate models, oceanography, biodiversity science, theoretical ecology

[Building blocks of] New kinds of computing:

Lessons from Nature: biochemistry, proteins, immunology, morphogenesis...

Other / New projects:

MToR, Food-webs, Highly novel bio-energetic models, Molecular computing:‘informed matter’

Conclusions: just beginning, exciting times

semmott@microsoft.com

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