Ivo Sbalzarini: “Computer Science is going to be for biology what mathematics is for physics. Cells integrate chemical, mechanical, and electrical information to take decisions about growth, division, and migration. A multi-cellular tissue is akin to a massively parallel multi-processor computer that self-organizes to solve complex tasks like morphogenesis. Concepts from computing, including algorithms, complexity, and emergence are mandatory to gain a mechanistic understanding of these processes.”

Computational Biology

Today’s biological and medical research is almost impossible without the extensive use of computers. Computational methods are key to converting data into knowledge. Large-scale biological datasets are produced routinely today, like microscopy images, RNA or genome sequences, and we rely heavily on computational methods for their analysis and interpretation. Moreover, computational models and simulations are at the very heart of modern biology. The demand for data analysis and modeling to answer open questions in the life sciences continues to drive progress in computational science, leading to true cross-fertilization. We not only use computational techniques to solve biological problems, but rather focus on the development of novel computational methods, theories, and algorithms, inspired by intriguing cell and developmental biology questions.

Our efforts concentrate on the following topics:

  • Bioimage analysis and informatics
  • Sequence analysis and comparative genomics
  • Simulation of biological systems in space and time
  • Mathematical modeling of biological processes
  • High-performance and parallel computing

We are fascinated by integrating computer science with biological questions and enjoy powerful computing resources and experimental facilities that are accessible across multiple participating institutions.

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