The workshop is designed to introduce students to bottom-up approaches for constructing detailed kinetic models of biological systems. It includes hands-on computational sessions using experimental data and lectures on theoretical concepts. Participants can choose between Wolfram Mathematica (instructors: Jacky Snoep and Dawie van Niekerk) or PySCeS/Python (instructor: Johann Rohwer) for coding, and select two out of three projects based on their modelling experience.

Running for a week from 2–6 September at Stellenbosch University, the workshop includes daily coding sessions and lectures. Participants can bring their laptops or use provided Mac minis, with Mathematica licenses available if needed. Transport from Cape Town International Airport is arranged before the workshop, but students must arrange their own accommodation.

To attend, students should email Jacky Snoep or Dawie van Niekerk by 31 July 2024, and indicate their platform and project interests. The workshop is limited to 20 participants on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Projects offered

1. Enzyme Kinetics and Model Construction: Covers initial rate kinetics, rate equations, parameterization, model construction, ODE setup, time integration, and model validation.
2. Metabolic Control Analysis (MCA): Covers elasticity coefficients, control coefficients, perturbation analysis, summation and connectivity theorems, matrix methods, response coefficients, and optimization principles.
3. Dynamic Systems Analysis of Glycolysis (Advanced topic requiring more independent work): Focuses on stability analysis, bifurcation analysis, oscillations, and synchronization.