The Ohio State University Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) Colloquia

The Ohio State University Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) Colloquia

Announces a Presentation by:

Michael L. Shuler, Ph.D.

Samuel B. Eckert Professor of Engineering

Director, Nanobiotechnology Center (NBTC)

Department of Biomedical Engineering

Cornell University

Title: Modeling Life

Abstract:

We seek to construct physical and mathematical models of life. Such models allow us to test our understanding of how living systems function and how they respond to human imposed stimuli. One sys-tem is a genomically and chemically complete model of a minimal cell. This cell is a hypothetical bacte-rium with the fewest number of genes possible. Such a minimal cell provides a platform to ask about the essential features of a living cell and forms a platform to investigate "synthetic biology." A second system is "Body-on-a-Chip" (or microphysiological system) which is a microfabricated, microfluidic system with cells or tissue constructs representing various organs in the body. That physical model is based on a phys-iologically based pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamics (PBPK-PD) model. The ratio of organ sizes and the flow to each component is physiological. It can be constructed from human or animal cells and used in drug discovery development, or to predict response to exposure to environmental chemicals. Both the computer and the physical models provide insight into the underlying biology and provide new tools to make use of the understanding to provide benefits to society.

About the speaker:

Michael L. Shuler is the Eckert Professor of Engineering in the Meinig Department of Biomedi-cal Engineering and in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Cornell University, and Director of Cornell’s Nanobiotechnology Center. Shuler has degrees in chemical engineering (BS, Notre Dame, 1969 and Ph.D., Minnesota, 1973) and has been a faculty member at Cornell University since 1974. Shuler’s research includes development of "Body-on-a-Chip" for testing pharmaceuticals for toxicity and efficacy, creation of production systems for useful compounds, such as paclitaxel from plant cell cultures, and construction of whole cell models relating genome to physiology. Shuler is CEO and President of Hesperos, a company founded to implement the "Body-on-a-Chip" system. Shuler and F. Kargi have authored a popular textbook, "Bioprocess Engineering; Basic Concepts". Shuler has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Science and has received numerous other awards.