Team:WITS-South Africa/Modelling

Introduction

The biological sciences have generally been qualitative fields of study. However, due to the ``top up approach of synthetic biology, the need for quantitative mathematical models naturally arises. These models allow the biological system to be simulated and are necessary if control of the system is desired. We attempt to model a genetically engineered system implemented in the bacterium \emph{lactobacilus gasserii} that is capable of detecting the presence of a pathogen, expressing a reported and also signaling others cells of the presence of the pathogen.

Project Outline

The aim of our machine is to identify an infection of Human papillomavirus in vivo. From a modelling point of view the mechanism has a number of points of interest expounded on in the following sections. \begin{itemize} \item{Extracellular Activity: Varying concentrations and effects of the genetic machine on the habitat outside the cell} \item{Intracellular Activity: Responses to inputs and outputs as well as feedback loops} \item{Intercellular Activity: A medium for communication between cells} \end{itemize}