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A Computational Framework for Multilevel Morphologies

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Morphogenetic Engineering

Part of the book series: Understanding Complex Systems ((UCS))

Abstract

The hierarchical organisation of biological systems plays a crucial role in processes of pattern formation regulated by gene expression, and in morphogenesis in general. Inspired by the development of living organisms, the ability to reproduce a system’s dynamic at different levels of its hierarchy might also prove useful in the design of engineered products that manifest spatial self-organising properties. In this chapter, we describe a computational framework capable of supporting, through modelling and simulation, both the study of biological systems and the design of artificial systems that can autonomously develop a spatial structure by exploiting the potential of multilevel dynamics. Within this framework, we propose a model of the morphogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster reproducing the expression pattern in the embryo, then we examine a scenario of pervasive computing as a possible application of this model in the realisation of engineered products.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The MS-BioNET distribution, including sources, is freely available on the web at: http://www.ms-bionet.apice.unibo.it.

  2. 2.

    http://urchin.spbcas.ru/flyex/

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Acknowledgments

We thank Alessandro Ricci for the comments and suggestions he gave us on this work. We used data from the FlyEx database http://urchin.spbcas.ru/flyex/ for initialising and validating the model of Drosophila morphogenesis presented.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, 47521 , Cesena, Italy

    Sara Montagna & Mirko Viroli

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  1. Sara Montagna
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  2. Mirko Viroli
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Correspondence to Sara Montagna .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut des Systèmes Complexes, Paris Ile-de-France, Ecole Polytechnique, rue Lhomond 57-59, Paris, 75005, France

    René Doursat

  2. Binghamton University, Dept. Bioengineering, State University of New York, Binghamton, 13902-6000, New York, USA

    Hiroki Sayama

  3. Faculté des Sciences et Technologie, Lab. LACL-EA 4219, Université Paris-Est Créteil, avenue due Général de Gaulle 61, Créteil Cedex, 94010, France

    Olivier Michel

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Montagna, S., Viroli, M. (2012). A Computational Framework for Multilevel Morphologies. In: Doursat, R., Sayama, H., Michel, O. (eds) Morphogenetic Engineering. Understanding Complex Systems. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33902-8_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33902-8_15

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-33901-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-33902-8

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