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SUMMARY:Evolution of biological complexity and multicellular phototaxis - 
 Prof Ray Goldstein (DAMTP)
DTSTART:20081023T101500Z
DTEND:20081023T104000Z
UID:TALK13257@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Duncan Simpson
DESCRIPTION:Raymond E. Goldstein\nDepartment of Applied Mathematics and Th
 eoretical Physics University of Cambridge\n\nOne of the most fundamental q
 uestions in biology concerns the nature of evolutionary transitions from t
 otipotent single-cell organisms to multicellular ones with cell specializa
 tion. The Volvocine green algae serve as a model for the study of this iss
 ue\, as they comprise species ranging from unicellular Chlamydomonas to mu
 lticellular Volvox containing thousands of cells\, and exhibiting terminal
  germ-soma differentiation. \n\nAmong the most important aspects of multic
 ellular life is the coordinated beating of the thousands of flagella\, two
  per somatic cell\, which results in phototaxis despite the lack of a cent
 ral nervous system. In this talk I will describe our recent work on unders
 tanding the dynamics of phototaxis and of the cooperative beating of flage
 lla\, using a synthesis of laboratory experiments and ideas from dynamical
  systems theory.\n
LOCATION:Kaetsu Centre\, New Hall
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