Achievement

IGERT Trainees Michael Lawson, UCSB Department of Bio-Molecular Science and Engineering, and Brian Drawert, UCSB Department of Computer Science, along with their co-advisors, Professors Linda Petzold and Mustafa Khammash, UCSB Dept. of Computer Science and Dept. of Mechanical Engineering in collaboration with UC Irvine Assistant Professor Tau-Mu Yi, have developed a spatial stochastic model of polarisome formation in yeast mating. Spatial stochastic modeling is quite challenging. Drawert and Lawson developed a new algorithm, the Diffusive Finite State Projection (DFSP) method to accomplish this task. The new algorithm is orders of magnitude faster than previous methods. This new method makes use of a fractional step hybrid of the stochastic simulation algorithm (SSA) and the Finite State Projection algorithm for reaction-diffusion systems. The new computational method efficiently simulates the large number of diffusion transfer events that occur in these spatially inhomogeneous systems.