News & EventsDepartment Events
Events
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Oct8
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: The Many Phases of a Cell
Speaker: Krishna Shrinivas, Northwestern University
Abstract: Cells routinely orchestrate reactions, interactions, and transport amongst billions of biomolecules in a crowded environment to perform the diverse tasks that underpin life. Rather than occurring in a well-mixed milieu, biomolecules self-organize into dozens of membrane-lacking compartments called condensates that enable key biological functions and are aberrant in disease. I will introduce how phase transitions are emerging as a paradigm underlying condensate assembly and function in cells. During the talk, I will describe our efforts that bridge statistical physics, applied mathematics, and computation to predict emergent multiphase behavior in highly multicomponent soft materials and how such materials can be designed to perform information processing or computational tasks.
Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/98009465839
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TIME Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Ted Shaeffer ted.shaeffer@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Oct15
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: Model-free Inference from Time-series Data
Speaker: Trevor GrandPre, Princeton University
Abstract: Drawing inferences from experimental data often involves imposing models, which can lead to inaccurate conclusions. Theory sometimes points to quantities that are significant independent of the underlying mechanisms, but making accurate model-free estimates of these quantities can be hard because finite data generates systematic errors. I present two cases where we develop new methods to address and correct these errors: (1) extracting long-term population growth from single-cell lineage data and (2) estimating the evidence for the arrow of time in patterns of neural activity. For population growth, key observables are the number of divisions and generation times along a lineage for a fixed time. Simple growth rate estimators suffer from finite-time bias at short times; this bias scales inversely with time and can be corrected. At longer times, rare events introduce a linearization bias, causing an abrupt phase transition explained by a simple model of disordered systems. Our approach yields accurate estimates provided the lineage counts and lengths stay below the critical point, allowing inference of how mutations and physiological variations impact fitness. In the case of neural activity, the relevant observables are the moments of activity and the waiting times between these moments. Estimating the irreversibility—quantified by the Kullback-Leibler divergence between the distribution of forward and backward trajectories—faces similar biases. Finding the systematic dependence of these biases on sample size allows for accurate estimates, including detecting systems that obey detailed balance, and opens a path to exploring how the brain represents the arrow of time. Generally, this new understanding of how model-free estimators rely on a complex order of limits of the amount of data and the length of each sample may allow quantitative understanding of other relevant processes such as gene regulation, cell-cycle dynamics, and signal transduction.
Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/92938364014
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TIME Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Ted Shaeffer ted.shaeffer@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Oct21
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: Swimming in Nematic Liquid Crystals
Speaker: Kate Stebe, University of Pennsylvania
Abstract: Purcell's scallop theorem, which requires non-reciprocal motions for translation in isotropic fluids, needs adjustment for swimmers in nematic liquid crystals (NLC). Unlike isotropic fluids, where complex, non-reciprocal motions are essential, symmetric motions can induce translation in NLC due to its anisotropic nature. In NLC, symmetric flows create broken symmetries and elastic stresses that drive motion, expanding the range of effective swim strokes. This study outlines the conditions for swimming at low Reynolds numbers in NLC and explores how colloidal swimmers can access far-from-equilibrium defect dynamics that enhance swimming efficiency. The research, in collaboration with Miha Ravnik's group, reveals new possibilities for effective swimming in NLC environments.
Special Note: Stephen H. Davis Lecture
Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/97615086394
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TIME Monday, October 21, 2024 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Ted Shaeffer ted.shaeffer@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Oct29
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: TBA
Speaker: Pedram Hassanzadeh, The University of Chicago
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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To subscribe to the Applied Mathematics Colloquia List send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IT.NORTHWESTERN.EDU with the command:
add esam-seminar Youremail Firstname Lastname
TIME Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Ted Shaeffer ted.shaeffer@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Nov5
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: TBA
Speaker: Miranda Holmes-Cerfon, The University of British Columbia
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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To subscribe to the Applied Mathematics Colloquia List send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IT.NORTHWESTERN.EDU with the command:
add esam-seminar Youremail Firstname Lastname
TIME Tuesday, November 5, 2024 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Ted Shaeffer ted.shaeffer@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Nov12
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: TBA
Speaker: Mariela Petkova
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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TIME Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Ted Shaeffer ted.shaeffer@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Nov19
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: TBA
Speaker: Ertugrul Ozbudak, Northwestern University
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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add esam-seminar Youremail Firstname Lastname
TIME Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Ted Shaeffer ted.shaeffer@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Dec3
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: TBA
Speaker: Evelyn Tang, Rice University
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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TIME Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Ted Shaeffer ted.shaeffer@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Dec7
EVENT DETAILS
lessFall classes end
TIME Saturday, December 7, 2024
CONTACT Office of the Registrar nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR University Academic Calendar