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Background

There have been rapid developments in biology in the last 10 years or so. The genomes of complex organisms, including the human genome, have been sequenced. This explosion of genetic information renders quantitative methods of investigation. Moreover, it is becoming clear that the understanding of a biological organism lies not only in its parts, like the genes and their resulting proteins, but more importantly in the understanding of the interaction of the parts, and how the functional properties of the whole organism emerge from the collective behavior of the parts that resulted from their interaction. These new developments and emphasis are making biology a quantitative and conceptually profound discipline and also bringing biology and physics close together.

This Croucher Advanced Study Institute (ASI) aims to expose the local physicists in Hong Kong and in the region to these recent exciting developments and thus allow them to seize the golden opportunities available in this new era of biology. Seven leading experts in the field are invited to present lectures on various topics that offer opportunities for the techniques and problem solving skills of physicists. Furthermore, this Croucher ASI hopes to promote collaborative efforts among the physicists and the biologists as such interdisciplinary efforts are highly beneficial to the progress of this new emerging field of quantitative and systemic biology.

Invited Lecturers

Robert Austin, Princeton University
Vincent Croquette, Ecole Normale Superieure, France
Terrence Hwa, University of California, San Diego
Albert Libchaber, Rockefeller University
Boris Shraiman, University of California, Santa Barbara
Eric Siggia, Rockefeller University
Chao Tang, University of California, San Francisco

Invited Speakers

Chi Keung Chan, Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica
Hao Li, University of California, San Francisco
Qi Ouyang, Peking University
Yuhai Tu, IBM T. J. Watson Research Center
Ricky N. S. Wong, Hong Kong Baptist University

Topics Covered Include

- Physics aspects of the origin of life
- Quantitative approaches to gene regulation
- Modeling of signaling pathways
- Specific examples of yeast cell cycle and fly embryo development
- Technologies in biological investigation

Scientific Program

Please click here for the program. All lectures will be held at the Science Centre of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The working language is English.

Hotels

Hotels for this ASI are Royal Park Hotel and Regal Riverside Hotel in Shatin. Transportation between the hotels and the Science Centre of the Chinese University of Hong Kong will be arranged during the ASI. Please follow this link for direction to the hotels.

Registration

There is NO registration fee. Please click here for online registration.

Organizing Committee

Emily S. C. Ching (Director), The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hai-Qing Lin , The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Lei-Han Tang , Hong Kong Baptist University
Penger Tong , The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Ke-Qing Xia , The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Enquiries

Please contact Pui-Yee Ho of the Chinese University of Hong Kong at pyho@phy.cuhk.edu.hk.