A Computational Framework for Multilevel Morphologies
The hierarchical organisation of biological systems plays a crucial role in processes of pattern formation regulated by gene expression, and in morphogenesis in general. Inspired by the development of living organisms, the ability to reproduce a system’s
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A Computational Framework for Multilevel Morphologies Sara Montagna and Mirko Viroli
Abstract The hierarchical organisation of biological systems plays a crucial role in processes of pattern formation regulated by gene expression, and in morphogenesis in general. Inspired by the development of living organisms, the ability to reproduce a system’s dynamic at different levels of its hierarchy might also prove useful in the design of engineered products that manifest spatial self-organising properties. In this chapter, we describe a computational framework capable of supporting, through modelling and simulation, both the study of biological systems and the design of artificial systems that can autonomously develop a spatial structure by exploiting the potential of multilevel dynamics. Within this framework, we propose a model of the morphogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster reproducing the expression pattern in the embryo, then we examine a scenario of pervasive computing as a possible application of this model in the realisation of engineered products.
15.1 Introduction Complex systems generally exhibit a hierarchical organisation that plays a crucial role in their static and dynamic properties. These properties are highly dependent upon the principles of downward and upward causation, by which the behaviour of the whole is conditioned by the behaviour of the parts (bottom-up emergence), while the behaviour of the parts is also influenced, in turn, by the behaviour of the whole (top-down immergence) [27]. An example is given by biological systems: they are organised into different levels (proteins, cells, tissues, and so on), while the continuous interplay among these levels gives rise to their observed behaviour and structure. In this context, S. Montagna (B) · M. Viroli Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy e-mail: [email protected] M. Viroli e-mail: [email protected] R. Doursat et al. (eds.), Morphogenetic Engineering, Understanding Complex Systems, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-33902-8_15, © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012
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S. Montagna and M. Viroli
an emblematic process is morphogenesis, which takes place at the beginning of a multicellular organism’s life (plant or animal) and is responsible for the formation of its structure. Morphogenesis phenomena include both cell-to-cell communication and intracellular dynamics: these two types of processes work together and influence each other in the formation of complex and elaborate patterns that are specific to the individual phenotype. We took inspiration from these biological phenomena to create a computational framework for investigating both biological and artificial organisms capable of autonomously self-organising in complex structures. This computational framework allows the modelling and simulation of multilevel and multicompartment dynamics using a biochemical metaphor. It is based on (i) MS-BioNET, a high-level modelling language that can specify the system’s structure, internal chemical processes, and stochas
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