Toward Engineering Biosystems With Emergent Collective Functions

Many complex behaviors in biological systems emerge from large populations of interacting molecules or cells, generating functions that go beyond the capabilities of the individual parts. Such collective phenomena are of great interest to bioengineers due to their robustness and scalability. However, engineering emergent collective functions is difficult because they arise as a consequence of complex multi-level feedback, which often spans many length-scales. Here, we present a perspective on how some of these challenges could be overcome by using multi-agent modeling as a design framework within synthetic biology. Using case studies covering the construction of synthetic ecologies to biological computation and synthetic cellularity, we show how multi-agent modeling can capture the core features of complex multi-scale systems and provide novel insights into the underlying mechanisms which guide emergent functionalities across scales. The ability to unravel design rules underpinning these behaviors offers a means to take synthetic biology beyond single molecules or cells and toward the creation of systems with functions that can only emerge from collectives at multiple scales

Improvement of plum storage with modified atmosphere packaging

Post-harvest supply chain is a critical point for agro-food marketing. The management of freshness in the storage is fundamental to maintain high profits in the agro-food sector to improve the distribution and to respond to retailers and consumers’ requirements. Plums are considered to have a climacteric-ripening pattern, in which ethylene is the hormone responsible for ripening. Modified atmosphere (MA) storage is a method helpful to maintain the natural quality of fruits. MA added to low temperatures influence fruit metabolism and reduce ethylene production, weight losses, hardness of pulp, preserving vitamins and organic acids. The objective of this study was to increase the condition of storage and the shelf life of different plum cultivars through the use of MA and different types of plastic film. Considered units are commercial pallets with large batches of product and individual basket units. Qualitative destructive analysis to determine weight losses, total sugar, and acidity titratable were made to compare samples stored in MA and test mantained in normal atmosphere at 0°C

Postharvest biology and technology of plum

Games can provide an effective and replicable space in which stakeholders learn skills necessary for deliberative and pluralist policymaking. These skills are especially important for “nexus” policy issues that are typically characterised by multiple, competing problem frames involving overlapping networks of stakeholders. In this position paper, we describe three serious games that serve as a space for players (stakeholders) and researchers to jointly explore alternative solutions to complex resource management issues: the Water-Food-Energy Nexus Game (Nexus Game); the Narubu Game of Many Voices (Narubu Game); and the Forest Governance Game (Forest Game). The games contain instructive and reflexive mechanisms that prompt players to self-discover common challenges associated with complex nexus issues, including conflicting institutional mandates, social dilemmas, contending worldviews, and plural interpretations of science