Decoding the coordination of biological networks (DECONET)

The study of branched networks helps understand and control systems as diverse as river deltas, slime molds, and city infrastructure. In multicellular organisms several different networks form within a confined space & time during embryonic development. The coordination between these networks defines the final function of the organ and cell fate allocation. However, since these networks have only been studied separately their coordination into a functional entity is not known. We will join our expertise in dynamic bioimaging, machine learning (ML), and topological statistics to uncover the principles guiding the coordination of co-existing networks. This will provide valuable new knowledge of how organismal systems are integrated.