Conference Service Mandl

abstract: The robustness of biological systems is a product of long natural evolution, selecting those organisms and cells, which can better resist fluctuations and damage. To a certain degree, robustness of social organization is an emergent property imposed by historical evolution. However, regulation of social processes is also a matter of design. Indeed, it is the task of any government and parliament to formulate and to enforce laws that would ensure stability of the entire state and its smooth functioning. On the other hand, industrial production and transportation systems are fully planned and designed to meet customers’ demands and manufacturing constraints. Endowing such systems with a capacity to withstand damage and adapt to demand variations is highly desirable.

What are dynamical mechanisms and network architectures which promote robustness? Is it possible to formulate general principles that determine robust functional dynamics? Does robustness emerge through natural evolution? Can computer evolution processes be used to design robust systems? What are the footprints of robustness and can one discern common structural motifs and other statistical properties in robust systems of various origins?

abstract: The interplay between biological organisms and hydrodynamic flows influences strongly the ecology of oceans, lakes and rivers, as well as developmental processes in living organisms. These phenomena at the interface between biology and physics cover different temporal and spatial scales from small-scale turbulence to mesoscale hydrodynamic activity on the physical side, and from bacteria and other cellular organisms up to swimming animals like fish on the biological side.

The aim of this workshop is to bring together scientists from various disciplines who investigate organisms in fluid flows from different perspectives and to address, among others, topics like: impact of mesoscale mixing on biology, population dynamics in rivers, non-passive transport, experimental biology in fluids, bioconvection and the influence of small-scale turbulence on plankton. The general goal of the workshop is to facilitate cross-fertilization between the different scientific communities and to stimulate joint interdisciplinary projects among the participants.