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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Chad Glen
PhD Thesis Defense
Date: Wednesday July 25, 2018 at 1pm
Location: CHOA Seminar Room 1005, EBB-Krone
Advisors:
Dr. Melissa Kemp
Dr. Todd McDevitt
Committee Members:
Dr. Michael Levin
Dr. Krishnendu Roy
Dr. Brani Vidakovic
Dr. Eberhard Voit
Title: Investigating the role of intercellular communication on spatial differentiation through agent-based modeling.
Abstract:
Gap junction communication within multicellular systems produces complex networks of intercellular connectivity that result in heterogeneous distributions of intracellular signaling molecules. In this work, we investigated the emergent systems-level behavior of the intercellular network within embryonic stem cell (ESC) populations and the corresponding spatial organization of colonies during early neural differentiation. Using experimentally-derived parameters, an agent-based model was able to recapitulate and predict spatiotemporal trajectories of differentiation using molecular transport through gap junctions as the differentiation mechanism. This mode of intercellular communication as a driver of differentiation was validated with small molecule inhibitors as well as CRISPR interfence targeting of connexins. In addition, we developed a graphical user interface for generating agent-based models containing various modes of communication. This platform provides a tool to interrogate the spatial aspects of information transfer within multicellular systems and facilitates accelerated design of engineered living systems such as organoids by enabling the analysis of multiscale communication within cell populations of any morphology or organization.
