[This is the old program from WS 2008/09. The current program and contact information can be found here.]

17 October 2008, 16:00

Sergio Alonso (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Berlin)
Effective medium theory for heterogeneous reaction-diffusion systems [Abstract]

31 October 2008, 16:00

Tetsuo Ueda (Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Japan)
Nonlinear processes in Physarum: Towards an understanding of the cellular behavioral intelligence

Abstract:
The plasmodium of the true slime mold Physarum polycephalum is a single multi-nucleate giant amoeboid cell. This naked aggregate of protoplasm senses various environmental stimuli, judges the information, and acts behaviorally by changing its shape as well as moving toward or away from the stimuli. By observing the dynamics of behavior, we notice that this primitive organism exhibits a rather high level of "intelligence". In my talk, the ability of finding (forming) the shortest path, signaling pathways or networks for judging the multiple stimulation, spatiotemporal patterns of rhythmic contraction for controlling the cell behavior, etc will be discussed Discussions will also be made on the further possibility of this organism as a model system for systems biology.

14 November 2008, 16:00

Alain Karma (Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, USA)
Spatiotemporal patterns of voltage and calcium signaling in heart cells and tissue [Abstract]

21 November 2008, 16:00

Alexander V. Panfilov (Department of Theoretical Biology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands)
Modeling mechano-electric feedback in the heart using reaction-diffusion mechanics systems [Abstract]

28 November 2008, 16:00

Karsten Peters (Institut für Wirtschaft und Verkehr, Technische Universität Dresden)
Structural properties of functional networks in biological and technical systems [Abstract]

05 December 2008, 16:00 Haber-Villa

Takao Ohta (Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Japan)
External forcing and feedback control of nonlinear dissipative waves [Abstract]

13 February 2009, 16:00

Frank Spahn (LS Nichtlineare Dynamik, Institut für Physik und Astronomie, Universität Potsdam)
What tell "propellers" in Saturns rings about planet formation? [Abstract]