Speaker: Stephen A. Wirkus,
Mathematical Sciences & Applied Computing Department,
Arizona State University West Campus

Title: Gene Regulatory Network: A Continuous Nonlinear Model

Abstract: Gene expression is the process by which a gene makes its effect on a cell or organism. Linear differential equations have been explored as a model for gene expression. We discuss the shortcomings of this model, and we propose a system of nonlinear differential equations to mathematically model gene expression in prokaryotes, such as bacteria, and simple eukaryotes, such as yeast. We investigate this biological system using explicit functions that describe the processes of protein synthesis which includes transcription, translation, degradation, and feedback in hope of shedding light on their associated rates. We analyze the transient and steady state solutions of the model and give a biological interpretation of these results. We briefly mention some possible extensions using networks.