Blueprint for an Artifical Cell
ECLT Summer School
Venice May 4-17, 2008
Abstract
Recent advances in biology,
chemistry, computing and engineering have brought us close to the point where
it will be possible to build artificial living cells. This is the theme of
“Blueprint for an Artificial Cell” a multidisciplinary summer school, organized
by the European Center for Living Technology with funding from the European
PACE project. The school will provide tutorials to familiarize participants with
relevant concepts and techniques from outside their own fields of
specialization, offer them with an up to date vision of the “state of the art”,
expose them to advanced research, described by leaders in the field, and make
them aware of the key research challenges that still need to be answered.
Admission to the school was
open to all students and researchers with a degree or equivalent experience in
biology, chemistry, computer science, or other relevant disciplines (e.g.
micro-fluidics). No previous experience with artificial cells was required. The
school admitted a maximum of 30 students chosen through a selection procedure
administered by the school. The selection was based on candidates’ previous
experience and current research interests and aimed to create a mix of
researchers from different scientific backgrounds
Conference
on Living Technology
ECLT, Ca’
Minich, 25-26 May 2007
Organizers: I. Poli, N.
Packard, K. Lindgren, S. Nolfi
Abstract
Living technology is broadly construed to
be development of techniques, methods, and implementations that manifest
essential qualities of life in a significant way. These qualities include
self-maintainence, self-reproduction, self-repair,robustness, and evolvability
that enables ongoing innovation.
The ECLT includes a broad range of inter- disciplinary scientific
activity as examples of living technology, and the program of the current
conference is designed to reflect this breadth. The ECLT believes that
fundamental progress in understanding living systems, both natural and
artificial, is needed to enable future engineering of complex systems that have
the potential of life.
International Conference
on Morphological Computation ICMC07
ECLT, Ca’
Minich, March 26-28, 2007
Organizers: Norman Packard, Rolf
Pfeifer, Mark Bedau, Fumiya Iida
Abstract
The conference will be broadly interdisciplinary, including discussions in the area of computation (robotics, computation theory), chemistry and molecular biology (micro-patterning with biological polymers, interacting self-assembled micro-structures), and material science (intelligent micro materials, complex physical materials, complex surface patterning). One key goal of the conference is to help identify a new and fruitful center of gravity at the heart of these overlapping research areas. Our guiding idea is that the time is ripe to formulate and develop a new paradigm for fully embodied computation, which might be quite different from the conventional Turing computational paradigm based on symbol manipulation. The breadth of the endeavor will naturally bring together people from different research communities, so that they can learn of their overlapping interests and converging research.
Prebiotic
Chemistry and Early Evolution
ECLT, Venice
International University, September 28-October 1, 2005
COST Action D27
Organizer:
Günter von Kiedrowski
Abstract
At the beginning of the 21th century, chemistry is facing a formidable challenge. Inspite of the wealth of insight derived from existing forms of life biology by itself has not been able so far to answer the question concerning the origin of its subject. Finding the roots of biology in chemical systems calls for an integrated endeavour in which chemistry interfaces with molecular biology, theoretical biology and complex systems research. COST Chemistry Action D27 was founded in early 2002; its main objective was seen in the development of the chemistry connected with the origin of life and early evolution of life on Earth, while giving special emphasis on self-replicating systems, prebiotic synthesis of nucleic acids and polypeptides, as well as simple protocells as early models of biological cells. In the course of the Action six European workgroups were established who will report on their activities on the meeting. These reports will be embedded into a framework of keynote and invited lectures from internationally leading scientists whose work and vision is important for the future development of the Action.