Evolutionary Principles as an Engineering Design Paradigm

Department of Biomedical Engineering Special Seminar

“Evolutionary Principles as an Engineering Design Paradigm”

Ranjan Srivastava
Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Department of Biomedical Engineering
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer/Oral Oncology Program
University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT

Abstract: The principles of evolution represent the blueprint for a powerful dynamic force capable of giving rise to objects, entities, and even processes of extraordinary sophistication and complexity. If one can understand the basis on which evolution operates, the potential exists to harness this force. Such knowledge can provide us with a better understanding of the world around us. Additionally, one could use the insights gleaned to design and engineer items ranging from electronic devices to recombinant organisms. The potential for evolution to be applied in this way has been recognized and used computationally, in the form of evolutionary algorithms, and experimentally, such as with “directed evolution.” Our group has attempted to take advantage of evolutionary processes in a variety of ways. I will share a few of our efforts in this regard. I will discuss our use of genetic algorithms to carry out curation and fundamental analysis of genome-scale metabolic networks of various infectious agents, including Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Bacillus anthracis. I will also discuss how we have validated an antisense design scheme based on the assumption that naturally occurring antisense has evolved for optimal efficiency.

Bio: Dr. Ranjan Srivastava is an Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut. He holds appointments in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and in Biomedical Engineering, and he also serves as the inaugural Director of the Biomolecular Engineering Program. Additionally, he is a faculty member of the Head and Neck Cancer/Oral Oncology Program at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Dr. Srivastava received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maryland-College Park. He held a joint post-doctoral fellowship in Chemical Engineering and Oncology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he was an NIH Trainee. Dr. Srivastava has been the recipient of an ONR Faculty Fellowship from the Naval Medical Research Center and was a Visiting Associate Professor of Biostatistics at Yale University. His research interests focus on the intersection of molecular systems biology, metabolic engineering, and artificial intelligence.

When: Thursday,February 26th, 2015
Place: Becton Seminar Room
Time: 4PM