Synthetic & Systems Biology

We are aiming to understand the dynamics of life from molecular level interactions using systems and control theory and to develop computational and analytical methods for improving human health and life quality. We are working with various research groups in the University including Advanced Medical Diagnostics & Lab-on-a-chip group and Cell & Tissue Engineering in the Biomedical Engineering Division and Beatson Institute of Cancer Research.

Molecular biology considers dynamical interactions among different species of molecules. The interactions are stochastic, nonlinear and discrete. Our research is concentrated on the development of efficient modelling, simulation and analysis tools.

Our research is divided into the following core activities:

• Synthetic cell implementation and control using nano-technology
  
• Modelling & robustness analysis of large-scale stochastic biomolecular networks
  
• Biomolecular network inferring
  
• Human control systems
  

Selected Publications

• Kim, J., Bates, D. G., and Postlethwaite, I., "A geometrical formulation of the mu-lower bound problem", IET Control Theory & Applications, Vol. 3, Issue 4, April 2009, pp. 465-472
  
• Kim, J., Bates, D. G. and Postlethwaite, I., "Evaluation of stochastic effects on biomolecular networks using the generalised Nyquist stability criterion", IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 53, No. 8, September 2008, pp. 1937-1941
  
• Kim, J., Bates, D. G., Postlethwaite, I., Heslop-Harrison, P. and Cho, K.-H., "Linear time-varying models can reveal nonlinear interactions of biomolecular regulatory networks using multiple time-series data", Bioinformatics 2008 24: 1286-1292; doi:10.1093/bioinformatics/btn107
  
• Kim, J., Heslop-Harrison, P., Postlethwaite, I. and Bates, D. G., "Stochastic noise and synchronisation during Dictyostelium aggregation make cAMP oscillations robust", PLoS Computational Biology 3(11), Nov., 2007
  
• Kim, J., Bates, D. G., Postlethwaite, I., Ma L. and Iglesias P.A., "Robustness Analysis of Biochemical Network Models", Vol 153, No. 3, IEE Proceeding Systems Biology, May 2006, pp. 96-104
  
• Gawthrop, P., Loram, I. D., Lakie, M. and Gollee, H., "Intermittent control: A computational theory of human control" Biological Cybernetics, 104(1-2):31-51, 2011.
  
• Loram, I. D., Gollee, H., Lakie, H. and Gawthrop, P, "Human control of an inverted pendulum: Is continuous control necessary? Is intermittent control effective? Is intermittent control physiological?" The Journal of Physiology, 589:307­324, 2011.
  
• Gawthrop, P., Loram, I. D. and Lakie M., "Predictive feedback in human simulated pendulum balancing" Biological Cybernetics, 101(2):131-146, 2009.
  
• Loram, I. D., Lakie, M. and Gawthrop, P. "Visual control of stable and unstable loads: what is the feedback delay and extent of linear time-invariant control?" The Journal of Physiology, 587(6):1343-1365, 2009.