The theme of the 2012 EMBL PhD symposium is biological complexity. The past 20 years have seen a massive increase in the volume of biological data. Molecules and cells once studied in isolation are now being analyzed as components of genomes, proteomes, pathways and tissues. By analyzing interactions within and between such datasets, researchers are uncovering emergent, systems-level properties that cannot be seen from the perspective of individual molecules. Understanding complex biological systems requires a biology that is integrative, yet predictive and rigorous. Our symposium will feature talks by PhD students and Investigators whose work is exactly that.
The symposium will comprise three sessions. Our first day will focus on genomics. The attempt to interpret the ever-increasing tide of genomic data requires the integration not only of disparate biological fields, but also cross-field collaboration. Our speakers will represent experts from both the public and private sector and will discuss recent advances in, and the future implications of, genomics technology for research and society at large. Our second day will focus on proteomics, a field undergoing a parallel revolution of its own. Our speakers will discuss developments in the field with applications ranging from research and synthetic biology to medical diagnosis. Finally, our last day will focus on attempts to model even higher-level systems such as the regulatory networks and cell-cell interactions that determine cell fate in development. Our speakers will discuss the value of the systems approach in these high level systems, and the challenges to be overcome in applying it.
The symposium will comprise three sessions. Our first day will focus on genomics. The attempt to interpret the ever-increasing tide of genomic data requires the integration not only of disparate biological fields, but also cross-field collaboration. Our speakers will represent experts from both the public and private sector and will discuss recent advances in, and the future implications of, genomics technology for research and society at large. Our second day will focus on proteomics, a field undergoing a parallel revolution of its own. Our speakers will discuss developments in the field with applications ranging from research and synthetic biology to medical diagnosis. Finally, our last day will focus on attempts to model even higher-level systems such as the regulatory networks and cell-cell interactions that determine cell fate in development. Our speakers will discuss the value of the systems approach in these high level systems, and the challenges to be overcome in applying it.
