"Statistical Physics, Biological Complexity and Pattern Formation at Yellowstone's Hot Springs" by Prof. Nigel Goldenfeld

Dear all

This is an announcement of a seminar hosted by Collective Interactions Unit (Bandi Unit).

Date :  May 28th, 2015 (Thu)
Time:   11:00am – 12:00pm
Venue:  C209 seminar room, Level C, Center Building
Speaker: Professor Nigel Goldenfeld, Department of Physics University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Title: Statistical Physics, Biological Complexity and Pattern Formation at Yellowstone's Hot Springs

Abstract:
Biocomplexity is the term that is becoming used to describe efforts to understand strongly-interacting dynamical systems with a biological, ecological or even social component.  I provide a brief overview of why this field is not only interesting for physicists, but can benefit substantially from their participation.  In particular, microbes represent a fascinating opportunity for physicists to contribute to biology, because their strong interactions, via both signalling and exchange of genes, means that the techniques of statistical mechanics are ideally suited to exploring the ecology of microbial communities and the evolutionary dynamics of microbial genomes.

As a case study of biocomplexity, I present my own work on geobiological pattern formation at Yellowstone's Mammoth Hot Springs, where heat-loving microbes may play a role in the dynamics of landscape evolution. I'll describe my group's recent field, experimental and theoretical work on the possible role of microbes in creating scale-invariant travertine terraces at geothermal hot springs. The ability to distinguish both ancient and modern geological features that are biologically influenced from those that are purely abiotic in origin can potentially advance our understanding of the timing and pattern of evolution, and may even provide a tool with which to identify evidence for life on other planets.

Work performed in collaboration with: G. Bonheyo, J. Frias-Lopez, H. Garcia Martin, J. Veysey, B. Fouke. 
Work supported by the US National Science Foundation.

We look forward to seeing many of you at the seminar.

Sincerely,

Kaori Egashira (on behalf of Ayano Sakiyama)
Collective Interactions Unit (Bandi Unit)