Mathematical understanding of complex patterns in the life sciences

The understanding of complex phenomena in biology and chemistry requires a fundamentally multidisciplinary approach, incorporating ideas and insight both from mathematics and from the life sciences. We hope to bring together participants from these fields; the speakers will be mathematicians, biologists, and chemists who pursue their research in a multidisciplinary environment.

The workshop will revolve around various topics in the mathematical study of formation and dynamics of complex patterns, which can be observed in areas such as morphogenesis, bacterial growth, immune systems, ecological systems, and chemical reactions. The topics of the lectures will include travelling fronts in homogeneous and heterogeneous media, singular limits and interface dynamics, blow-up and extinction phenomena, and efficient numerical methods.

Holding a Lorentz-Center workshop instead of a formal conference will permit to keep a rather light schedule and leave enough time for discussions between the researchers in mathematics and in the life sciences. Hopefully new collaborations will arise while ongoing joint work will be pursued.