Expert workshop: Understanding Evolvability and Robustness

The workshop proposes to examine the history and multiple current usages of the notion of evolvability, and its relation to other key ideas within systems and synthetic biology, such as the idea of robustness.  In particular, we will discuss the ways in which evolvability is being modelled, with specific emphasis on mathematical modelling and theoretical approaches coming from engineering, such as control theory. Speakers will concern themselves with the ways in which models capture and operationalize the idea of evolvability, and reflect on the ways in which modelling strategies adopted in systems biology over the last two decades are impacting on current conceptualisations of what it means for organisms to be able to evolve. Full details.