Modelling cell division and endoreduplication in tomato fruit pericarp.

In many developing plant tissues and organs, differentiating cells switch from the classical cell cycle to an alternative partial cycle. This partial cycle bypasses mitosis and allows for multiple rounds of genome duplication without cell division, giving rise to cells with high ploidy numbers. This partial cycle is referred to as endoreduplication.

Identifying optimal models to represent biochemical systems.

Biochemical systems involving a high number of components with intricate interactions often lead to complex models containing a large number of parameters. Although a large model could describe in detail the mechanisms that underlie the system, its very large size may hinder us in understanding the key elements of the system. Also in terms of parameter identification, large models are often problematic.

Exploitation of chemical signaling by parasitoids: impact on host population dynamics.

Chemical information mediates species interactions in a wide range of organisms. Yet, the effect of chemical information on population dynamics is rarely addressed. We designed a spatio-temporal parasitoid--host model to investigate the population dynamics when both the insect host and the parasitic wasp that attacks it can respond to chemical information.

Complexity reduction preserving dynamical behavior of biochemical networks.

The complexity of biochemical systems, stemming from both the large number of components and the intricate interactions between these components, may hinder us in understanding the behavior of these systems. Therefore, effective methods are required to capture their key components and interactions. Here, we present a novel and efficient reduction method to simplify mathematical models of biochemical systems.

Efficient estimation of the robustness region of biological models with oscillatory behavior.

Robustness is an essential feature of biological systems, and any mathematical model that describes such a system should reflect this feature. Especially, persistence of oscillatory behavior is an important issue. A benchmark model for this phenomenon is the Laub-Loomis model, a nonlinear model for cAMP oscillations in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Odor-mediated aggregation enhances the colonization ability of Drosophila melanogaster.

Animal aggregation is a general phenomenon in ecological systems. Aggregations are generally considered as an evolutionary advantageous state in which members derive the benefits of mate choice and protection against natural enemies, balanced by the costs of limiting resources and intraspecific competition. Many insects use chemical information to find conspecifics and to form aggregations.

The effect of chemical information on the spatial distribution of fruit flies: I Model results.

Animal aggregation is a general phenomenon in ecological systems. Aggregations are generally considered as an evolutionary advantageous state in which members derive the benefits of protection and mate choice, balanced by the costs of limiting resources and competition. In insects, chemical information conveyance plays an important role in finding conspecifics and forming aggregations.

The effect of chemical information on the spatial distribution of fruit flies: II Parameterization, calibration, and sensitivity.

In a companion paper (Lof et al., in Bull. Math.