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Archivio digitale delle tesi discusse presso l’Università di Pisa

Tesi etd-04232012-161502


Tipo di tesi
Tesi di laurea specialistica
Autore
TELLESCHI, GIULIO
URN
etd-04232012-161502
Titolo
A new approach to modeling morphogenesis using Control Theory
Dipartimento
INGEGNERIA
Corso di studi
INGEGNERIA DELLA AUTOMAZIONE
Relatori
relatore Prof. Caiti, Andrea
correlatore Dott. Chyba, Monique
Parole chiave
  • computational modeling
  • control theory
  • morphogenesis
Data inizio appello
11/05/2012
Consultabilità
Completa
Riassunto
It has been proposed that biological structures termed fractones may govern morphogenic events of cells; that is, fractones may dictate when a cell undergoes mitosis by capturing and concentrating certain chemical growth factors created by cells in their immediate vicinity. Based on this hypothesis, we present a model of cellular growth that incorporates these fractones, freely-diffusing growth factor, their interaction with each other, and their effect on cellular mitosis. The question of how complex biological cell structures arise from single cells during development can now be posed in terms of a mathematical control problem in which the activation and deactivation of fractones determines how a cellular mass forms. Stated in this fashion, several new questions in the field of control theory emerge. We present this new class of problems, as well as an initial analysis of some of these questions. Also, we indicate an extension of the proposed control method to layout optimization.
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