Abstract: Experimental studies are often conducted in vitro in a thermodynamically closed system, and in a 'clean' environment where impurities and other components are systematically excluded. The qualitative role of system components is defined based on such experiments. In several systems, in vivo experimental observations (i.e. for open systems where other components are present) are not in accordance with standard or intuitive predictions. I will present results for specific systems suggesting that (i) these observations may arise due to competition that has not been included in the model or thinking, and (ii) competition and system state (open or closed) may lead to qualitatively different and in some cases diametrically opposite conclusions. The long-term objective is to dissect the role of these two effects through analysis of a 'model system' of reversible enzymatic transformation. Progress towards this goal will be discussed.
Bio: Chetan Gadgil is a scientist at NCL, Pune; and also at IGIB, New Delhi. He is also Professor and Associate Dean of Engineering at AcSIR. He has been awarded a B Chem Eng degree from ICT Mumbai, M Tech from IIT Bombay, and PhD from the University of Minnesota, all in chemical engineering. After his PhD, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Mathematics department at Minnesota; and the R&D division of the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline in the US. His research group uses chemical engineering and mathematics to analyze biological systems at scales ranging from basic cell biology to pharmacology.
This seminar is compulsory for students registered for course CL 702 or CL 704.