Physics of Biological Systems
The nervous system is the most complex organ of our body and certainly the most complex system biological evolution has ever produced. Even the simplest services of the nervous system require the interaction of millions of nerve cells that are interconnected in widely ramified networks. The performance of neuronal information processing in the brain depends on the finest details concerning the molecular organization of its neurons, but also on the brain-wide architecture of its networks and the dynamic information flows through them, which can be redirected from one moment to the next. As in large social organizations, the principle of "teamwork is the be-all and end-all" also applies to the nervous system. Our goal is to elucidate how the different organizational levels of neurobiological networks, from the subcellular molecular architecture of neurons to the interconnection in networks of brain areas, interact and coordinate to achieve optimal performance. To decipher the principles and mechanisms of how the cerebral cortex works, we rely on
- mathematical theories
- probalistic models
- computer simulations
- basic tools of theoretical physics
Together with experimental groups, we develop strategies to test and systematically develop theoretical model concepts.
