Title :
A bio-inspired spatial patterning circuit
Author :
Kai-Yuan Chen ; Joe, Danial J. ; Shealy, James B. ; Land, Bruce R. ; Xiling Shen
Author_Institution :
Sch. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY, USA
Abstract :
Lateral Inhibition (LI) is a widely conserved patterning mechanism in biological systems across species. Distinct from better-known Turing patterns, LI depend on cell-cell contact rather than diffusion. We built an in silico genetic circuit model to analyze the dynamic properties of LI. The model revealed that LI amplifies differences between neighboring cells to push them into opposite states, hence forming stable 2-D patterns. Inspired by this insight, we designed and implemented an electronic circuit that recapitulates LI patterning dynamics. This biomimetic system serve as a physical model to elucidate the design principle of generating robust patterning through spatial feedback, regardless of the underlying devices being biological or electrical.
Keywords :
bio-inspired materials; biological techniques; biomimetics; cellular biophysics; genetics; networks (circuits); LI patterning dynamics; bioinspired spatial patterning circuit; biological devices; biological systems; biomimetic system; cell-cell contact; dynamic properties; electrical devices; electronic circuit; in silico genetic circuit model; lateral inhibition; physical model; spatial feedback; stable 2D patterns; turing patterns; Biological system modeling; Cells (biology); Educational institutions; Integrated circuit modeling; Mathematical model; Pattern formation; Robustness;
Conference_Titel :
Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), 2014 36th Annual International Conference of the IEEE
Conference_Location :
Chicago, IL
DOI :
10.1109/EMBC.2014.6943535
