Graph Theory and Biological Networks Tutorial
Topic: Graph Theory and Biological Networks Tutorial
Meeting dates: August 16-18, 2010
Location: NIMBioS at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Tutorial Leaders: Margaret Cozzens (Center for Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science, Rutgers Univ.); Jo Ellis-Monaghan (Dept. of Mathematics, Saint Michael's College): Gregg Hartvigsen (Dept. of Biology, SUNY Geneseo); John Jungck (Dept. of Biology, Beloit College)
Agenda (PDF)
Objectives: This tutorial invited biologists, mathematicians and computer scientists to learn more about graph theory. Biologists learned how graph theory can inform their understanding of many common biological patterns that are in and of themselves graphs: pedigrees, fate maps, phylogenetic trees, metabolic pathways, food webs, epidemiological networks, interactomes, etc. as well as how graph theory can be used to design experiments, analyze images, and model complex interactions. Mathematicians and computer scientists learned how graph theoretical concepts such as interval graphs, planar graphs, trees, networks, Delaunay triangulations, Gabriel graphs, minimal spanning trees, etc. have widespread utility in understanding biological phenomena ranging from molecular to cellular to population levels with ecological and medical applications.
The workshop was led by two mathematicians and two biologists who have a long history of seamlessly borrowing from one another’s disciplines. Participants applied what they learned in lectures to actual data in a computer laboratory context by using open source, open access tools and databases.
Evaluation Report (PDF)
