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Assignment 1: Excel worksheet for optimization problem

• Describe how the Pmemb and Penzy fractions change.
• What's the algorithm for finding the optimal ratio of these two at a given light level?
• Draw a curve for the optimal levels compared to a cell that is adapted to one particular level. optimal_curve.gif
• 
• Reasons why the cell can't adapt to all levels.reasons.html

Assignment 2: Bioinformatics of algae & phytoplankton

• List of key words(list_key_words.txt)
• total hits in Biosis using alga$ or phytoplank$ or cyanobact$
• What are some important key words

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Discussion for the day

• Architecture and diffusion

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Written assignment #1. Due Thursday in class.

• Synthesize these three elements
  1. The optimization model at the level of major components of the cell (see the figure at the bottom of this page)
  2. Biochemical composition of those components (see the list of biochemical molecules)
  3. The results of your simulation in Excel
  to address the problem of optimization in different light environments. Your paper should be 3 pages or less. You must turn in a printed version and a Word 6 or HTML text version on a disk. I will let you hand draw the figures if you like for this assignment.
• Your paper should have the following paragraphs
  1. description of adaptation and optimization
  2. a specific example, light adatption and the ratio of Pmemb to Penz
  3. possible limits to adaptation because of diffusion or architecture and when these limitation would be important
  4. 2 examples from the literature (I suggest you find them using Biosis using search words we discussed in class: light, adaptation, photoadaptation, etc.)