Overview
Title: Phage Dormancy: Emerging Principles & Open Questions
Abstract: Dormancy is a hallmark of the viral life cycle, yet our understanding of how viruses decide to enter or exit the dormant state remains fragmentary. Bacteriophage lambda, arguably the best characterized biological system, serves as an ideal starting point for addressing this question, and, more broadly, for testing the limits of predictive power by theoretical biophysical models. In my lecture, I will discuss some of the principles of viral decision-making, identified using a combination of empirical measurements and theoretical analysis. I will also highlight key open questions, and the type of future experiments that are required to address them. Throughout, I will demonstrate how investigating the viral life cycle at increasing resolution – from the population to the single cell, from the cell to the individual virus – invariably reveals the limitations of our existing understanding and leads to new insights.
About the NITMB Seminar Series:
The NSF-Simons National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology Seminar Series brings together a mix of mathematicians and biologists to foster discussion and collaboration between the two fields. The seminar series typically takes place on Fridays from 10am – 11am at NITMB. Talks are in-person with the ability to join remotely. Learn more at https://www.nitmb.org/nitmb-seminar-series
Join Webinar – https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/95512946631