Engineering Biology: The Emerging Engineering Paradigm in
Biomedical Engineering, Systems Biology, and Synthetic Biology,
15 - 16 April 2016,
Center for Philosophy of Science,
817 Cathedral of Learning
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA USA
.
CALL FOR PAPERS
Engineering models, methods, concepts, technologies and engineers
themselves are playing an increasingly prominent role in biological
investigation. The new engineering inspired fields such as integrative
systems biology, biomedical engineering, and synthetic biology appear to
have more in common with engineering approaches than with traditional
biological ones. Researchers in these fields typically come from
engineering and applied mathematical disciplines or are biomedical
engineers trained to understand and build with biological materials. The
result has given rise to a complex interplay of different conceptual and
methodological frameworks, and interdisciplinary interactions, that have
yet to be fully explored by philosophers. A fundamental contribution of
the engineering paradigm in modern biology is, arguably, the provision
of strategies and tools for managing the complexity of biological
organization by transforming it into calculable well-structured forms
that facilitate investigation and control and can be subject to
engineering analysis.
This workshop aims at characterizing the new engineering paradigm in
biology, especially how engineering practices and epistemological
perspectives differ with respect to established biological modes of
practice and accepted biological epistemology, and at examining the
transformative aspects of the concepts, techniques, strategies, and
epistemic principles that engineers bring to biological phenomena and
how these conflict, contrast, or accord with traditional biological
approaches.
Submissions, in the form of an extended abstract of no more than 1000
words, should be made through Easy Chair. Link to the submission site:
https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=rebio2016
Abstracts will be blind-refereed, so please remove identifying material.
The deadline for submissions is DECEMBER 1, 2015. Participants selected
for presentation will receive up to 3 nights lodging from the Center.
Travel expenses are not covered.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
TARJA KNUUTTILA, Department of Philosophy, University of South Carolina,
EBERHARD VOIT, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Instituteof
Technology and Emory University,
WILLIAM WIMSATT, Department of Philosophy, University of Minnesota.
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:
Nancy Nersessian (Chair), Harvard University, nancyn@cc.gatech.edu
Sara Green, University of Copenhagen, saraehrenreichgreen@gmail.com
Tarja Knuuttila, University of South Carolina,
tarja.knuuttila@helsinki.fi
Andrea Loettgers, University of Geneva, andrea.loettgers@unige.ch
Alan Love, University of Minnesota, aclove@umn.edu
Miles MacLeod, University of Twente, m.a.j.macleod@twente.nl
Michael Stuart, University of Pittsburgh,
m.stuart@pitt.edu
SPONSOR:
Center for Philosophy of Science
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