Dr. Yongtao Zhang

“Computational Modeling of Limb Development. "

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
3:00pm
Rowland Hall, Rm 440R

Abstract:
Major outstanding questions regarding vertebrate limb development concern how the numbers of skeletal elements along the proximodistal (P-D) and anteroposterior (A-P) axes are determined and how the shape of a growing limb affects skeletal element formation. Recently [Alber et al., The morphostatic limit for a model of skeletal pattern formation in the vertebrate limb, Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, 2008, v70, pp. 460-483], a simplified two-equation reaction-diffusion system was developed to describe the interaction of two of the key morphogens: the activator and an activator-dependent
inhibitor of precartilage condensation formation. In this talk, I will present a
discontinuous Galerkin (DG) finite element method to solve this nonlinear system on complex domains to study the effects of domain geometry on the pattern generated.
Moreover, recently we have extended these previous results and developed a DG
finite element model in a moving and deforming domain for skeletal pattern formation in the vertebrate limb. Simulations reflect the actual dynamics of limb development and
indicate the important role played by the geometry of the undifferentiated apical zone. This computational model can also be applied to simulate various fossil limbs.