Mathematical models of Cellular Metabolism and Hormonal control on human gut function in health and disease

Faculty : Nagasuma Chandra (Biochemistry), N. Srinivasan (MBU)

The need for quantitative modelling of biological systems has become greater than ever before, as there is a deluge of data and a severe limitation in terms of how well such data is understood. As high-content data is being generated from biology laboratory experiments and clinical samples with great ease, this need has become even more acute. Computational models of biological systems that are capable of integrating data across scales offer a way of overcoming this barrier across scales and leveraging benefit from advances in different areas of biology. In particular, models that can be built using detailed molecular level data and are able to rationalize and predict macroscopic behaviour data will provide a great advantage of comprehending and connecting disparate pieces of information gained from independent studies reported in literature.  We plan to develop a framework for constructing multi-scale models capturing molecular level information at one end of the spectrum and macroscopic behaviour at the other end, to study the human gastrointestinal system. We will use the model to quantitatively study gut function in health and in disease (eg., diabetes) by probing hormone dynamics and the effect of neurotransmitters secreted by enteric neurons (acetylcholine, norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, etc). We will utilise gene regulatory, metabolic and signalling networks to identify key control elements in a healthy gut and identify the variations in control structures in specific diseases.