IQS strengthens its leadership in applied mathematics with the "Life in Equations" conference series

IQS has launched the conference series “Life in Equations: From Atoms to Organisms,” an initiative aimed at giving visibility to the school’s research activity in the field of applied mathematics and encouraging its growth. Through this initiative, IQS is seeking to consolidate its status as a leading university in computer modelling and simulation applied to key sectors of daily life such as health, industry, culture, and social behaviour.

Since the 1960s, IQS has promoted research and knowledge transfer activities that use mathematics and computational modelling to solve challenges in areas such as health and industry. IQS was a pioneer in Catalonia in theoretical chemistry, and researchers from the Pharmaceutical Chemistry (GQF) and Biological Chemistry and Biotechnology (GQBB) groups are currently working on the molecular modelling of complex biological systems using high-performance computer-assisted simulations and artificial intelligence. These technologies have fundamental applications in the computer-aided design of new drugs and biocatalysts.

The field of statistics has also been a leading area at IQS, with significant contributions in chemometrics and social media analysis as well as innovative teaching methodologies. In recent years, the arrival of new research staff has made it possible to expand the application of mathematics to other strategic sectors related to research and transfer activities in the Applied Data Analytics and Modelling IQS (ADAMIQS), Environmental Process Engineering and Simulation (GESPA), and Industrial Product Engineering (GEPI) groups. These initiatives include the use of artificial intelligence in industrial processes, the mathematical modelling of biological systems, the simulation of social behaviour, the simulation and optimization of chemical processes to improve their sustainability, and innovation in the teaching of mathematics.

The “Life in Equations: From Atoms to Organisms” conference series arose from the informal research seminar on mathematical simulation and modelling at IQS, a joint work space in which professors can share experiences and design collaborative strategies in research projects, final degree projects, and master’s theses, along with grant applications.

Through this conference series, the academic and scientific community will be able to learn first-hand about advances in the computational modelling of biological systems, ranging from molecular interactions to processes at the cellular, tissue, organism, and entire population levels.

The conference series will begin on 26 February with a lecture by Dr Miquel Duran-Frigola, researcher and co-founder of the Ersilia Open Source Initiative, who will address the use of artificial intelligence in the design of drugs to fight against malaria and tuberculosis in South Africa. Ersilia is a non-profit organization that provides AI tools to laboratories in low-income countries to research infectious diseases. In its three years of experience, Ersilia has facilitated access to predictive models in medical chemistry, focusing on pathogens from the Global South.

The upcoming conferences will feature appearances by renowned experts such as:

• Dr Víctor Guallar, ICREA professor at the BSC-CNS in Barcelona. Tuesday, March 25, 11:30 a.m.
• Dr James Sharpe, ICREA professor and director of EMBL Barcelona. Monday, April 28, 11:30 a.m.
• Dr Clara Prats, professor of physics at the UPC and coordinator of the BIOCOM-CS research group. Wednesday, June 4, 11:30 a.m.

Each lecture will explore how mathematics, combined with disciplines such as chemistry, biology, and engineering, contributes to the development of new scientific solutions with an impact on health and social welfare.

IQS has historically been a leader in the application of mathematics to scientific research. From the introduction of theoretical chemistry in Catalonia in 1965 under the leadership of Dr Ramon Carbó-Dorca to the implementation of advanced computing for molecular analysis, the university has been at the forefront in these fields. In addition, IQS was one of the first research centres in Catalonia to have a computer for scientific calculations in the 1960s, with a memory of just 16Kb, which marked the beginning of a tradition of innovation in computing and mathematical modelling.

With initiatives such as “Life in Equations: From Atoms to Organisms,” IQS is reaffirming its commitment to excellence in research and its role as a driver of innovation in the application of mathematics to resolve complex problems across multiple sectors in society.