Physics of Life 2024 - The 9th Annual Monsoon School

Date: 1st to 10th July, 2024

Time: 9 am to 7 pm, Mon to Sat

Venue: NCBS Bangalore

About the Monsoon School:

Biology is essentially an interdisciplinary field and is in the forefront of modern physics and information sciences. The goal of the school is to:

(i) expose undergraduate students from mathematics, physical sciences and engineering backgrounds to exciting problems in biology through research talks by biologists, physicists and computer scientists. Topics include: the structure and function of biomolecules; the organization of cells; the development of organisms from embryos to adults; the structure and function of the brain; populations and ecosystems; and aspects of evolution.

(ii) provide pedagogical instruction on a range of mathematical topics, so that students will be better prepared to enter Ph.D. programmes in computational biology, systems biology, biophysics, and related areas. Topics include: biophysics and soft-matter physics, ranging from aspects of molecules to those of cells and tissues; information processing and decision making, at the level of cells or of the brain; stochastic processes in molecules or populations; genetic networks and feedback systems; biomechanics and robotics.

About the Poster:

Designed by Megha Ramachandra (Uyyale Art and Design Studio) and conceptualised by Nandita Chaturvedi (SImons Centre at NCBS), this poster depicts the underlying connections between the physics of LCDs and collectives of living organisms.

Liquid crystals are materials that have an anisotropic molecular shape which makes them want to align with each other. The mathematical tools used to describe complex liquid crystal phases have also been useful in describing the collective behavior in organisms such as schools of fish, bird flocks and motile bacteria. Such swarms or herds can therefore be thought of as living or active liquid crystals.

If you'd be interested in exploring the more such 'physics of life' principles, the Monsoon School is for you!

 

Eligibility criteria:

All applicants must have completed atleast two years of their Undergraduate degree by July 2024, and not have participated in any of the previous Monsoon Schools. We encourage students from across disciplines, and from institutions across the country to apply for Monsoon School 2024.

Registration:

To participate in Monsoon School 2024, please fill up this Google form latest by the 15th of April 2024: bit.ly/PhyOfLife24-apply

Participants will be informed of their application status by late-May.