Development and application of simplified whole-cell models to understand complex cell behaviour (360G-Wellcome-203953_Z_16_A)

Cells are often described as 'the building blocks of life'. As such, they are vital in a wide range of applications, from understanding complex biological processes like the immune system, to producing new drugs to combat diseases. Understanding how cells behave at a fundamental level is therefore crucial in being able to develop these research areas and thus improve society. The ways in which cells behave, however, are extremely varied and defined by complex sets of internal mechanisms. To aid our understanding of cell function, therefore, we can use mathematics and coding to 'model' key processes, for example 'how cells produce proteins efficiently'. By focussing on general details when modelling, we can not only predict elements of cell behaviour, but also apply it to different cells and contexts. At present, the Stan group at Imperial has developed a simplified model that describes how cells use energy to allocate their resources during key processes. To exploit this model, we aim to apply it to a range of contexts, for example modelling how cells produce different proteins so stably and efficiently. Consequently, we are able to probe cell function and build a framework for an enhanced understanding of fundamental cell behaviour.