Condensed Matter Seminar: Why single cells grow exponentially?

Abstract:

What determines the growth rate of a cell? why certain bacteria increase their dry mass exponentially in the right conditions? Is the distribution of doubling times universal? In this talk I will offer a novel universal model for cellular self-replication based on a network of self-replicating queues arranged in the von-Neumann architecture. I will explain how pipelining of self-replication allow cells to linearly increase the doubling rate by exponentially increasing the level of WIP (Work-In-Process), whenever decreasing the cycle time is impossible. I will explain how a simple generalization of Little's law applicable to self-replicating factories or queues that relates the doubling rate with the number of progenies concurrently under production, and the critical path duration, can be employed to predict a universal distribution of doubling times with excellent agreement with experimental measurements.

Event Organizer: Prof. Eli Eisenberg