SUMMARY:

In computational theory, several formal approaches make use of
biology as inspiration for the development of problem solving techniques.
Most of them are taken from complex, inherently concurrent, systems.
Some examples of "biologically inspired computing" are artificial immune
systems, cellular automata, genetic algorithms, membrane computing,
neural networks, organic computing, swarm intelligence.

On the other hand, concurrency has begun to inspire an emerging research
area in Biology. Regev and Shapiro coined the Cells-as-Computation
metaphor as the "much-needed abstraction for biomolecular systems".
Computers and biomolecular systems both start from a small set of
elementary components from which, layer by layer, more complex entities
are constructed with evermore sophisticated functions. In computational
systems biology, the abstractions, tools and methods used to specify and
study concurrent and distributed systems can therefore be naturally
adopted to model and better understand the complex biomolecular systems.

In this workshop we intend to explore this "cross-fertilization" between
computational sciences and biology, with a special attention to
concurrent models in biology and formal foundations in bio-inspired
computing. Concurrency theory permits hypotheses generation and testing.
Models can therefore be simulated, analyzed, checked and validated.
A growing "arsenal" of theoretical models, logics, and tools for
understanding concurrent systems has been developed. We recognize that
concurrency permeates not only computer systems but also nature and
living organisms. We can find concurrency at the molecular level as well
as at those of cells, organs, individuals, communities and ecological
systems. Also, biologically inspired computing could benefit from
concurrency theory.


SPECIFIC TOPICS OF INTEREST INCLUDE (BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO):

* Biologically inspired developments in concurrency theory;
* Biologically inspired models and software tools for concurrent
 computation;
* Applications of computer science formalisms with concurrency flavour,
 such as process algebras, Petri nets, automata, statecharts, rewrite
 systems, P systems, in systems biology;
* Challenges in compositional modelling of biological systems at
 different level of detail: molecular, cellular, tissue, organs,
 organism, community;
* Use of concurrency software tools in the modelling, simulation and
 analysis of biological systems.


PAPER SUBMISSION:

We solicit unpublished papers reporting on original research on the
topics of interest of FBTC workshops. The title and the abstract of each
paper should be sent to the email address of the workshop by

    Wednesday 12 of March, 2008

and papers should be submitted via EasyChair
(http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=fbtc2008) by

    Wednesday 19 of March 2008.

Authors will be notified of acceptance by Friday, 2 May 2008.
Submissions from the PC members are allowed.

Prospective authors may need to register with EasyChair first if they do
not have an account there yet. Papers should take the form of a pdf file
in ENTCS format, whose length should not exceed 15 pages. Please follow
the instructions at http://www.entcs.org/prelim.html for downloading
the correct prentcsmacro.sty file for FBTC 2008. If necessary, detailed
proofs of technical results and other additional information can be
included in a clearly-labelled "Appendix for referees". This is in
addition to 15 pages stated above; and the material may be read at
the discretion of the PC but will be included in the final version of
the paper. Submissions from the PC members are allowed.

Proceedings: Bound preliminary proceedings will be available at
the meeting. The final proceedings of the workshop will appear
as a volume in the ENTCS series.


IMPORTANT DATES:

   * Submission of title and abstract: 12 March 2008
   * Submission of paper: 19 March 2008
   * Notification: 2 May 2008
   * Final version: 23 May 2008
   * Workshop: Saturday, 12 July 2008
   * Final ENTCS version: 22 August 2008


PROGRAMME COMMITTEE:

Uwe Aickelin (University of Nottingham, UK)
Ezio Bartocci (University of Camerino, IT)
Chiara Bodei (University of Pisa, IT)
Andrea Bracciali (University of Pisa, IT)
Nicola Cannata (CO-CHAIR - University di Camerino, IT)
Luca Cardelli (Microsoft Research Cambridge, UK)
Matteo Cavaliere (Microsoft Research - University of Trento CoSBi, IT)
Gabriel Ciobanu (Romanian Academy, RO)
Federica Ciocchetta (University of Edinburgh, UK)
Flavio Corradini (University di Camerino, IT)
Mark Daley (University of Western Ontario, CA)
Vincent Danos (CNRS, University Paris Diderot, FR)
Pierpaolo Degano (University di Pisa, IT)
Mark d'Inverno (Goldsmiths College London, UK)
Michael Domaratzki (University of Manitoba, CA)
Anthony Finkelstein (University College London, UK)
Radu Grosu (Stony Brook University, US)
Jane Hillston (University of Edinburgh, UK)
Anna Ingolfsdottir (Reykjavik University, IS)
Mathias John (University of Rostock, DE)
Andrea Maggiolo-Schettini (University of Pisa, IT)
Vincenzo Manca (University of Verona, IT)
Emanuela Merelli (CO-CHAIR - University di Camerino, IT)
Ian McQuillan (University of Saskatchewan, CA)
Alberto Policriti (University of Udine, IT)
Corrado Priami (Microsoft Research - University of Trento CoSBi, IT)
Alessandro Romanel (Microsoft Research - University of Trento CoSBi, IT)
Paul Ruet (University of Marseille, FR)
Carron Shankland (University of Stirling, UK)
Scott Smolka (Stony Brook University, US)
Susan Stepney (University of York, UK)
Adelinde Uhrmacher (University of Rostock, DE)
Irek Ulidowski (CO-CHAIR - University of Leicester, UK)
Cristian Versari (University of Bologna, IT)


INVITED SPEAKERS:

    To be announced


CONTACT:

    fbtc2008 AT mcs DOT le DOT ac DOT uk


WORKSHOP ORGANISERS:

    Nicola Cannata and Emanuela Merelli
    Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
    University of Camerino
    Via Madonna delle Carceri 9
    I-62032 Camerino (MC)
    Italy
   
    Irek Ulidowski
    Department of Computer Science
    University of Leicester
    University Road
    Leicester, LE1 7RH
    United Kingdom