Vol. 38, No. 18

2-15-2006
By: Melissa Weber

Understanding biology now requires math

You can't build a bridge or send a spaceship to Pluto without calculus, and now, thanks to the Mathematical Biosciences Institute, mathematics will play a more vital role in understanding biology.

"The amount of data being produced in the life sciences is staggering," said Avner Friedman, professor of mathematics and director of the MBI. "From the completion of the Human Genome Project to the fight against diseases of the brain, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, we've harvested incredible amounts of data that must be managed in new and better ways."

Friedman had a vision of creating an institute that could offer researchers in mathematics, statistics and computational sciences the background necessary to work more effectively with scientists in the life sciences. With strong departments in mathematics and statistics, a nationally ranked Medical Center and existing relationships forged in the Center for Biostatistics, among others, Ohio State was the natural choice for the institute's location.

"Society is eager to see basic research translated into better diagnostic and remedial tools for health problems. Mathematics and statistics can help us understand biological processes, and biology raises new questions in math," Friedman added.

Funded since 2002 by the National Science Foundation's Division of Mathematics, the MBI is the only institute in the United States focused on the interaction of mathematical sciences with life sciences. Each academic year the institute offers a series of workshops and seminars centered around a biological theme, such as neurosciences or cellular processes.
This year's focus is on ecology and evolution. With literally dozens of scientists attributing advances in their work to collaborations and relationships formed through these workshops, attendance has grown from 450 to nearly 1,000 this year.

"We have a local Scientific Advisory Committee with faculty from nearly every part of campus," explained Tony Nance, assistant director of the MBI and an assistant professor of mathematics. "They select the topics to ensure we're at the forefront of science. In the next few years, we'll be focusing on developmental biology and a related field of evolutionary developmental biology, which emerged largely in the 1980s and '90s."

To jumpstart that exploration, the MBI launched a public lecture series Feb. 7 with Ransom Myers, the Killam Chair of Ocean Studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Myers spoke about the ecological consequences of the loss of predatory fish, such as sharks and tuna, and how over-fishing has drastically changed the world's oceans.

The work of the MBI also is influencing the curriculum within the life sciences. "Currently, biology majors take two quarters of calculus, but the classes are really geared toward engineering majors," said Peter March, chair of the Department of Mathematics. "We are re-evaluating the current math courses for biology majors and working collaboratively with the College of Biological Sciences to design a three-quarter sequence in mathematics for biology majors."

Joan Herbers, dean of the College of Biological Sciences, said that such a sequence is essential since biology is becoming increasingly quantitative. "Students will graduate with a better understanding of using the power of quantitative techniques to study problems in the life sciences," Herbers said.

For more information on the MBI, visit http://mbi.osu.edu

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