Objective Receptor proteins on the surfaces of B- and T-cells interact with pathogens, recognize them and initiate an immune response. The diversity and complexity of immune receptors poses a challenge to nonequilibrium many-body physics and our understanding of the physical principles that control the emergent functional properties of biological systems, such as recognition. The diversity of the composition of the immune repertoire emerges as a self-organized process, stimulated by interactions with the environment. The goal of the proposed research is to study the self-organization of the immune repertoire in the face of its pathogenic environment at the molecular and evolutionary level, by using a combination of data analysis and statistical mechanics modeling.Recent experiments have determined the set of B-cell receptors found in a zebrafish and T-cells in humans – data that allows for theoretical analysis and hypotheses rejection that were never possible before. I will theoretically study the problem of recognition from four unique and complementary directions:- guided by statistical signatures in the data I will propose evolutionary models of how selection and mutation in the sequences lead from the genomic precursors to a functional repertoire of receptors,- I will quantify, under simplifying assumptions, the question of the optimal repertoire for recognition in a varying but partially predictable pathogenic environment using maximum likelihood,- analyzing sequence data I will build probabilistic models to characterize the molecular scenarios that generate the repertoire,- I will use information theory and statistical methods to build data-driven models of the molecular nature of recognition based on yeast display experiments.Describing interactions between elements of receptor sequences will be an important step towards a physical understanding of recognition in the immune system, a crucial concept in grasping the onset of allergies and auto-immune diseases. Fields of science natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdata sciencenatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsmedical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologyautoimmune diseasesnatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsmutationnatural sciencesphysical sciencesclassical mechanicsstatistical mechanics Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-PE2 - ERC Starting Grant - Fundamental constituents of matter Call for proposal ERC-2012-StG_20111012 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Host institution CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS EU contribution € 1 267 914,00 Address RUE MICHEL ANGE 3 75794 Paris France See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Principal investigator Aleksandra Maria Walczak (Dr.) Administrative Contact Julie Zittel (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS France EU contribution € 1 267 914,00 Address RUE MICHEL ANGE 3 75794 Paris See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Principal investigator Aleksandra Maria Walczak (Dr.) Administrative Contact Julie Zittel (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data