Modeling Biological Systems

This program focuses on patterns in biology, bringing together biology and quantitative reasoning. Biological systems can be modeled on many different levels, from the molecular to diverse populations of interdependent organisms. We will find and model patterns in nature, predict model behavior, and test how well our models explain biological data.

Students will learn and write about the ways in which modeling is done to answer practical questions, such as how many fish a body of water can support or the number of fish that can be taken without disrupting the population. In the process of modeling, students will survey several biological systems, such as how proteins are synthesized, how viruses and bacteria function, and how ecological systems achieve stability. The program will approach modeling from an elementary mathematical perspective, assuming only a basic understanding of high school algebra. Students will learn about simple functions and ways to approximate them.