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                       BIOINFORMATICS COLLOQUIUM
                    School of Computational Sciences
                        George Mason University
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                    Mitochondrial Calcium Signalling
                and Energy Metabolism in Cardiac Myocytes

                             Saleet Jafri
                        George Mason University

                      Tuesday, February 22, 2005
                               4:30 pm
               Verizon Auditorium, Prince William Campus

The energy demands of the heart vary greatly as a result of different
activity levels of the heart to fulfil its role of pumping
blood. Healthy hearts can easily match energy production with energy
usage as a result of a complex regulatory system.  However, in some
pathological conditions such as heart failure or ischemia, these
regulatory mechanisms can fail.  This study explores uses computational
models to explore the role calcium plays in the role of energy
metabolism.  To this end, a model of calcium dynamics in the
mitochondrial is developed and combined with models of energy
metabolism.  The results indicate a possible mechanism by which
transient elevations of calcium in the heart (that are responsible for
initiating contraction) stimulate energy production in the mitochondria.

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Refreshments are served at 4:00 pm.  Find the schedule and directions at
http://www.binf.gmu.edu/colloq.html