 |
 |
 |
Math Biology Summer REU |
Pre-collegeUndergraduateREUGraduatePostdoctoralAdministrationHome |
Abstract: Immunology The immune system is constantly at work. It protects us from everyday infections, such as the common cold, to more epidemic-scale illnesses, such as H1N1 influenza. Recent advances even suggest that the immune system also monitors and eliminates body cells that have begun to appear suspiciously cancerous. Nonetheless, the immune system is remarkably decentralized - unlike, for example, the nervous system. Among its numerous parts are Neutrophils, minutemen that stand continually prepared to scout potential threats, Macrophages, information gatherers that continually clear tissue of debris and report suspicious activity to other parts of the immune system T cells, warriors that wait patiently in lymph nodes until called upon to multiply and respond to viral infection, Natural killer cells, security guards that jump on insubordinate cells that fail to display proper identification. How do all these immune agents interact? What particular roles do they serve in the collective defense system? And, how is the immune network organized? This summer, we will work to unravel some mysteries of the immune system, using mathematical modeling, computer simulation, and a plethora of innovation and creativity. Suggested text: How the Immune System Works, by Lauren Sompayrac home |
||