GRK 340:  Communication in Biological Systems: From the Molecule to the Organism in the Environment

• Subject Area: Basic Research in Biology and Medicine
• Term: from 1998 to 2007
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 271975

The ability to exchange process signals (communication) or perceive changes of external factors and react to it (interaction) are a basic phenomenon of very biotic system. Such processes occur from the molecular level to the complex organism in its environment. The investigation of the mechanisms of communication and of interaction at different levels are in the focus of this research training group, where communication and interaction are investigated by biologists and theoretical physicists in close cooperation. The methods of nonlinear dynamics are used to describe the processes observed by analysing stimulated rhythmics in metabolism.The communication is investigated at the level of cells, tissues or organisms (retina, ethylen or nitrate as signal in higher plants, stimulated rhythmics in metabolism, archaea, endosymbiosis, processing of noises in the auditory system, modeling). The stipendiats are familiar with the different investiation systems, get in contact with different approaches and learn about the various techniques applied.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Darmstadt
• Spokesperson: Professorin Dr. Felicitas Pfeifer
• Participating Researchers: Dr. Peter Andermann; Professorin Dr. Barbara Drossel; Dr. Elke Fischer-Schliebs; Professor Dr. Thomas W. Holstein; Privatdozentin Dr. Ulrike Homann; Professor Dr. Marc-Thorsten Hütt; Professorin Dr. Kirsten Jung; Professor Dr. Friedemann Kaiser; Professor Dr. Gerald Langner; Professor Dr. Paul Gottlob Layer; Professor Dr. Ulrich Lüttge; Professor Dr. Stefan Scheu; Professor Dr. Arthur Schüßler; Professor Dr. Ulrich Technau; Professor Dr. Gerhard Thiel