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Biophysics Candidate Seminar – Zak Frentz (Columbia Univ)

Date February 3, 2020 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Matter, energy, and time in living systems

Living systems appear to be highly complex, consisting of a large number of components that interact in idiosyncratic ways.  In addition, their dynamics are influenced by noise at multiple scales, and thus may exhibit nontrivial history dependence.  However, from the point of view of thermodynamics, the boundary conditions of living systems are quite simple, as they are determined by the flux of matter and energy.  This simple perspective allows us to investigate phenomena that are unique to living systems, without getting lost in molecular details.  I will discuss this approach through two examples: ecosystems that are closed to the exchange of matter with their surroundings, and spores that survive for centuries without energy from their environments.

Host: Steve Hagen

Details

Date:
February 3, 2020
Time:
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Categories:
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Venue

2205 NPB