Researching the liver - internationally and systematically - HepatoSys brings Systems Biology of the Liver to Göteborg
At the International Conference on Systems Biology (ICSB) in Göteborg, Sweden, scientists from around the world will be exchanging thoughts and ideas about the latest developments and findings from the field of Systems Biology research on the liver. The special workshop is being organized by HepatoSys, the German competence network for Systems Biology of liver cells. The event takes place on Wednesday, 27 August 2008 at 2:30 pm at the Wallenberg Conference Center in Göteborg.
The liver is unique: As the central metabolic organ in vertebrates it synthesizes, breaks down or modifies more than 10,000 substances every day, playing a critical part in processing nutrients and detoxifying the body. It supports the digestive system, regulates the iron balance and synthesizes vital proteins such as coagulation factors. Its metabolism is also crucial for the effectiveness of medication. Researching the liver and its functions is therefore a matter of great interest for the medical world and the pharmaceutical industry.
Hepatocytes, the most common and most important type of liver cell, express more genes than any other tissue, precisely because of the multitude of tasks, they perform. Their enzymes, signalling pathways and metabolism networks are correspondingly diverse. The processes in hepatocytes and in the organ as a whole are so complex that they cannot be investigated using conventional approaches. Scientists across the world have therefore set about creating an overall picture of the dynamic processes in the liver and in liver cells with the aid of Systems Biology.
The HepatoSys competence network is inviting international researchers in this field to a workshop held as part of the ICSB in Göteborg to discuss new approaches, progress and findings. The aim is to combine expertise in this field to advance Systems Biology research of the liver. "The HepatoSys network is endeavouring to expand its activities beyond the borders of Germany", says HepatoSys spokesman Professor Jens Timmer from the University of Freiburg. "We are therefore highly interested in working closely with scientists from other countries."
Further information about the workshop: http://sysbio.uni-freiburg.de/Workshop_Liver_ICSB08.html.
The ICSB programme on the internet: www.icsb-2008.org
About HepatoSys
HepatoSys was initiated in 2004 by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) incooperation with Project Management Jülich (PTJ). The working groups in the network engage in multidisciplinary systemic investigation of all processes within the liver, with the focus on the liver cell(hepatocyte). Scientists from widely different disciplines cooperate closely to imitate the functions of thebiological system on the computer. The long-term aim is to produce a virtual liver cell in which physiological processes can be reconstructed in silico.
Media Contact: HepatoSys - Central Project Management
Dr. Ute Heisner, Johannes Bausch
Institute for Physics, University of Freiburg
Phone: +49-761-2035803
Fax: +49-761-2035967
ute.heisner@fdm.uni-freiburg.de
johannes.bausch@fdm.uni-freiburg.de
www.hepatosys.de
Weitere Informationen:
http://sysbio.uni-freiburg.de/Workshop_Liver_ICSB08.html Information about the workshop
www.icsb-2008.orgThe ICSB programme on the internet
www.hepatosys.de Website of HepatoSys
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