Friday, March 13, 2009

Modular vs non-modular evolution

A simple experiment:

simulated evolution using "modules" vs simulated evolution without "modules"

Questions to answer:
1) What kind of fitness landscape might favor modules, if any?
2) Does stochasticity play a role?
3) What is the affect on rate of evolution?

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Measuring with limited instruments

At the present, instruments for measuring events inside a cell are limited. Although there are techniques using fluorophores to detect molecular events, they are not as quick and simple as GFP. 

So the question: is it possible to place GFPs at specific locations such that those different measurements will provide sufficient information for calculating some un-measurable point? 

Put in a different way: given a system, find a way to measure parameter X using a minimum number of other parameters (from a limited set of parameters).