International Seminar on Multi-Scale Physics of Lymphocyte Development

Lymphocytes are one of the key players of the immune system. The development and dynamics of these interacting cell populations are driven by processes spanning a wide range of time and space scales, from the seconds of molecular signalling events to life long cell population dynamics. The Seminar is a 4-week research program that focuses on developing physical, mathematical and computational approaches and methods towards a multi-scale description of immune processes. It aims to bring together leading experts in non-linear dynamics, complex networks, stochastic processes, molecular and cellular immunology. The program envisages continuous engagement between the participants: from the first week and its intensive schedule of talks, followed by an extended period of collaborative research, to end with a week of conclusions and discussions on the three research themes.

The three themes relate to the major space and time scales on which immune responses take place:

Sub-cellular events - The theme will focus on immune gene-regulatory networks and intracellular signalling to study the fine balance between environmental factors and the genetic programme that determines lymphocyte differentiation and development.

Single-cell events - The theme will focus on T and B cell selection in lymphatic tissues, specificity and diversity of T cell and B cell receptors, and their role in lymphocyte regulation and response.

Ensembles of cells and receptors - The theme will focus on the motion and contacts of lymphocytes in lymphatic tissues, the homeostatic immunological processes, the loss of lymphocyte diversity with age, and structure and dynamics of the receptor interaction network.