Essay on research papers

Consider Coopey et al’s 2007[1] & 2008[2] papers. Write a series of paragraphs addressing the following points:

1) What is the question being addressed by the modellers in Coopey 2007 & what is their hypothesis?

2) How do the equations in the paper enable the group to address their question? Give a general description of the model. Then describe the meaning of each term in equations (1) and (2).

3) Why are there two phases in the model? Describe the biological motivation for the phases and explain how they are realised in the model.

4) Why were partial differential equations chosen instead of Boolean networks?

5) What prediction did the model make about the biological system and how could this be tested experimentally?

6) Describe the work in Coopey 2008 and discuss the implications of this study on work in Coopey 2007.

[1] Coppey, M. et al. (2007) Modeling the bicoid gradient: Diffusion and reversible nuclear trapping of a stable

protein. Developmental Biology 312. DOI 10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.09.058

[2] Coppey, M. et al. (2008) Nuclear Trapping Shapes the Terminal Gradient in the Drosophila Embryo. Current

Biology 18. DOI 10.1016/j.cub.2008.05.03