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SUMMARY:Informed matter: The confluence of information processes and mater
 ial science - Dr Klaus-Peter Zauner\, University of Southampton
DTSTART:20090602T152000Z
DTEND:20090602T161000Z
UID:TALK18471@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Fabien Petitcolas
DESCRIPTION:*Abstract*: The 19th century brought about an understanding of
  energy for the molecular level. The 20th century saw rapid progress in th
 e manipulation of matter enabling the purposeful design of organic molecul
 es\, and the advent of bio-chemistry. The latter opened the view on marvel
 lously sophisticated macro-molecules and supra-molecular structures---but 
 offered no path to enter this design space.  It is for the 21st century to
  complement the achievements of the past with the application of informati
 on processes at the molecular scale.\nWhen this hurdle can be tackled\, ho
 wever\, the technology impact will rival the advent of organic chemistry.\
 n\nTo make the complexification of matter exhibited by nature amenable to 
 engineering\, it will be necessary to mimic the molecular level informatio
 n processes employed by organisms to fabricate and maintain their molecula
 r machinery.  Living systems are peculiarly organised inhomogeneous arrang
 ements of the very same matter that forms the remaining dead universe. The
 ir highly organised state can be sustained only by active maintenance whic
 h in turn necessitates the processing of information---life without comput
 ation is inconceivable. Conversely\, the proficiency with which single-cel
 l organisms maintain their living state under adverse conditions and sever
 e constraints in energy and material indicates the efficiency that may be 
 achieved through the direct use of the physical characteristics of materia
 ls for computation.\n\nIn face of the apparent discrepancy between attempt
 s to implement artificial devices with life-like properties (robots\, cogn
 itive systems) and the performance of living systems it appears likely tha
 t the intertwining of information processing and material processes innate
  to organisms may confer computational capabilities that in practise surpa
 ss conventional computing methods for some application domains.\n\nThis ta
 lk will explore the dual role of molecular information technology as a fac
 ilitator for the synthesis of complex materials and as a resource for comp
 utational power\, and show which steps we take in the laboratory on the pa
 th towards exploiting information processes at the molecular scale.\n\n\n*
 Biography*: Klaus-Peter Zauner is a Senior Lecturer in the Science and Eng
 ineering of Natural Systems Group of the School of Electronics and Compute
 r Science at the University of Southampton and the Deputy Chair of the\nUn
 iversity's Strategic Research Group for Life Sciences.\nHe was born in Stu
 ttgart\, soldered together a Sinclair ZX81 as his first computer and went 
 on to study Biochemistry at the University of Tuebingen. Intrigued by Natu
 re's molecular scale information processing mechanisms he left Tuebingen i
 n\n1992 for Detroit to join Michael Conrad's Biocomputing Group---at the t
 ime one of the very few places with research in molecular computing. Under
  Michael Conrad's mentorship he worked on conformational computing and enz
 ymatic computing. Klaus-Peter received his Ph.D. in computer science from 
 Wayne State University\, Detroit in 2001. He started his academic career a
 s a Visiting Assistant Professor at Wayne State University\, then returned
  to Europe in 2002 to work with Peter Dittrich in the Bio Systems Analysis
  Group at the University of Jena\, before taking up a lecturer position at
  the University of Southampton in 2003.\nHis goal is to figure out how org
 anisms achieve their highly integrated and efficient real-time information
  processing capabilities\, and to transfer the resulting insights to the e
 ngineering of novel computing devices. The work of his team is distinctive
  in its approach of adapting information paradigms to materials as opposed
  to enforcing programmability on matter.\n\nKlaus-Peter is a Microsoft Res
 earch European Fellow and recipient of a Leverhulme Research Leadership Aw
 ard.\n
LOCATION:Large public lecture room\, Microsoft Research\, Roger Needham Bu
 ilding\, 7 J J Thomson Avenue\, Cambridge CB3 0FB
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