Conference: Cell Decision Making Workshop, Arlington VA

会议：细胞决策研讨会，弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿，2013年6月10日至11日。来自生物界的细胞持续参与决策过程，即细胞从他们的周围(包括邻近的细胞)获取信息，通过复杂的信号转导和遗传电路处理这些数据，并调整它们的细胞表型作为回应。决策意味着选择是从相互竞争的选择中做出的，一旦做出选择，即使条件发生变化，这些选择也会有一定程度的持久性。这次研讨会将聚集理论和实验科学家，讨论细胞决策过程中的主要问题，以及可能被用来研究这些问题的新方法。这个研讨会将有助于催化研究科学家之间的讨论，他们有共同的兴趣，但工作在非常不同的细胞系统(真核与原核生物)。更广泛的影响。研讨会将为理论家和实验学家之间新的研究伙伴关系指明方向，并有助于在不同细胞系统的生物学相似之处推动这一领域的研究达成共识。研讨会组织者将撰写一份报告，总结该领域的现状，包括对当前理解的限制；确定未来研究工作的关键问题；以及随着该领域的发展需要克服的障碍。该研讨会支持扩大参与的目标，将妇女和在科学中代表性不足的群体的成员包括在内。该奖项得到了分子和细胞生物科学部的所有分组以及物理部的生命系统物理学方案的支持。

Conference: Cell Decision Making Workshop, Arlington VA, June 10-11, 2013.Cells from across the biological kingdoms are continuously engaged in the process of decision making, by which is meant that cells take information from their surroundings (including neighboring cells), process this data through complex signal transduction and genetic circuits, and modulate their cellular phenotypes in response. Decision making implies that choices are made from competing options and that once made, these choices have some degree of persistence even as conditions change. This workshop will bring together theoretical and experimental scientists to discuss major issues in cell decision-making processes and the new approaches that may be employed to study these issues. This workshop will serve to catalyze discussions between research scientists with shared interests, but working on very different cell systems (eukaryotic vs. prokaryotic). Broader impacts. The workshop will point the direction to new research partnerships between theorists and experimentalists, and help develop a consensus for this field of research driven by the similarities in the biology of diverse cellular systems. The workshop organizers will write a report summarizing the status of the field, including the limits to current understanding; identification of the key questions for future research efforts; and the barriers to be overcome as the field moves forwards. The workshop supports the goal of broadening participation by the inclusion of women and members of groups under-represented in science.This award is supported by all clusters in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences and by the Physics of Living Systems Program in the Division of Physics.