Cellular signaling cascade balances information transmission against energy consumption, study says
Monday, July 20, 2020 - 14:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Cellular signal transmission is not only optimized for precision—it also includes a cost cap. The relationship between information and energy, a concept well established in physics and engineering, is likely to fundamentally shape cellular signaling networks. One of the questions addressed by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, headed by biophysicist Victor Sourjik, is: What enables reliable transmission of signals in the "noisy" cellular environment? The research team is studying signal transmission in baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), combining information theoretical approaches with quantitative experiments.