CMCB Life Science Seminar: Prof. Markus Schmidtchen, TU Dresden

Host: Anna Taubenberger (BIOTEC)

Title: “Emergent Behaviour and Pattern Formation in Systems of Interacting Species”

Abstract: Travelling pulses of bacteria, pigment cells, whole patches of tissue, flocks of birds, fish schools, or even pedestrians — non-locally interacting species are ubiquitous in nature. Compared to single species models, which have been studied quite intensively, corresponding two species models have only recently gained considerable attention. Often, it is possible to observe and model simple behavioural rules between two (indistinguishable) individuals based on biological or social forces. These interactions between any two individuals are typically referred to as first principles, for these interaction principles lead to very rich and complex behaviours as soon as many individuals are involved.

In the first part of the talk, we propose a non-local model for two interacting species and discuss pattern formation and phase segregation effects. Albeit a toy model, the model poses quite a few analytical challenges which we shall briefly touch upon. We conclude the seminar by discussing applications of the model to tissue growth and to skin-patterning in zebrafish.