1st of March - Within the system
How do biological systems depend on their components?
A biological system is composed of a set of entities that together carry out a particular task. The laws governing biological systems change depending on the scale at which they act but it is possible to trace a continuum bridge from micro to macro, from molecules to ecosystems. In this session, we will explore how the intrinsic components of biological systems can produce a variety of observed phenomena and how evolution can shape their properties. Ranging from the molecular to organismal level, we will delve into the inner workings and behaviour of different biological systems, with the ultimate goal of extracting general principles that govern these systems.
2nd of March - Between systems
How do biological systems interact?
Whereas the behaviours of a biological system in isolation can shed light on key biological features, it is equally important to study what happens when different systems interact. For example, competition and cooperation between individuals can change both the ecology and evolution of species; at an entirely different scale, physical interactions between cells are pivotal for determining patterns of collective migration and tissue architecture. During the second day of the symposium, we will look into how different entities (cells, tissues, and organisms) can act both synergistically and antagonistically, with the ambition of explaining the causes and consequences of interactions between biological systems.
3rd of March - Changes to the system
How do Biological systems change upon perturbation?
Biological systems are not static entities and might display different states over time. External conditions and perturbations can move a system from one state (e.g. homeostatic state) to another (e.g. disease). Studying how a system reacts to such changes typically helps us understand how the same system works. In the final day of the symposium, we will focus on alterations to biological systems, and explore the causes and consequences of such alternative states, trying to highlight general connections with an integrative worldview, from diseases to climate change.