Date:	Thu, March 1, 2012
Time:	9:45
Place:	Research I Seminar Room

Abstract: Cell polarity in Myxococcus Xanthus determines the direction of cell movement and is regulated by proteins oscillating between the opposite poles of the bacterium. The cellular mechanism underlying these oscillations can be studied at a molecular as well as at a macroscopic level. We construct a minimal mathematical model with two proteins that is able to produce self-sustained regular oscillations. The dynamics of the model is based solely on diffusion across the cell body and protein reactions at the poles, and is furthermore independent of external triggers. We study theoretical conditions on the reaction terms leading to oscillating solutions, solve the associated system of reaction-diffusion equations and demonstrate numerically the robustness of our model for two possible scenarios of protein interaction.