The ability of regeneration characterizes cell biological systems and is increasingly required for computer science systems as well. Regenerative systems are able to overcome significant perturbations, and maintain autonomously their functionality in dynamic and uncertain environments. To analyse or develop these types of systems modelling and simulation plays a crucial role. However, due to being large scale and embracing many heterogeneously acting and interacting sub-systems with variable patterns of behavior, interaction and composition, they require the development of new modelling and simulation methodologies to support a flexible modelling at different levels of organization and abstraction and an efficient execution of experiments. The analysis of characteristica and requirements of regenerative systems and the evaluation of the developed concepts shall be based on a concrete biological regenerative system: the exploration of signalling pathways that play a significant role in the differentiation of neural cells.

The Graduiertenkolleg brings together researchers from Medicine, Biology and Computer Science and will contribute towards achieving new insights into the functioning of biological cell systems, establishing modelling and simulation as an experimental methodology in Biology, and developing innovative modelling and simulation methods and tools from which the understanding and the design of regenerative systems in general will benefit.