INFO.BIO Exploring out of equilibrium phenomena in biological systems using Information Theory and Statistical Physics (DFM.AD004.258)

Thematic area

Physical sciences and technologies of matter

Project area

Structure responsible for the research project

Institutes for complex systems (ISC)

Project manager

ANDREA CAVAGNA
Phone number: 06-49937460
Email: andrea.cavagna@cnr.it

Abstract

RG.BIO aims at developing a field theory of interacting biological systems, explain the remarkable power laws and scaling properties observed in natural flocks and swarms, and define universality classes of collective behavior. In doing so, the behavior of the system is characterized through correlation functions, their scaling properties and critical exponents.
INFO.BIO, on the other hand, will focus on the information content of the available experimental data sets. The project's aim is to exploit the analogy between thermodynamic entropy and Shannon entropy in order to: i) define an appropriate time dependent entropy to be measured in the data; ii) characterize the collective response of the system; iii) quantify the degree of out-of equilibrium behavior; iv) infer from the data individual equations of motion.

Goals

INFO.BIO will pursue a synergetic and complementary approach to the one addressed in the ERC-Adv grant RG.BIO pushing its theoretical potential beyond the temporal horizon of the ERC project and extending its range of applicability to a broader class of systems.

Start date of activity

15/06/2020

Keywords

out of equilibrium dynamics, information theory, active matter

Last update: 14/01/2025