European Conference on Mathematical and Theoretical Biology (ECMTB 2026)

Thermodynamics of Chemical Reaction Networks: From Circuits to Metabolism

MS102-04

14 Jul 2026, 15:00

20m

11.03 - HS (University of Graz)

Minisymposium Talk Systems Biology and Biochemical Networks Reaction Networks in Modern Mathematical Biology

Speaker

Massimiliano Esposito (University of Luxembourg)

Description

After a brief overview of the thermodynamic framework for open chemical reaction networks (CRNs) \cite{Rao2016}, I will introduce a circuit-theoretic approach that provides thermodynamically consistent schemes for coarse-graining CRNs \cite{Avanzini2023}. I will then illustrate how this framework can be used to analyse energy transduction in metabolic networks, emphasising how network structure constrains pathways of free-energy conversion and shapes their efficiency and regulation in biological systems \cite{Wachtel2022,Bilancioni20251,Bilancioni20252}.

Bibliography

@article{Rao2016,
title = {Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics of Chemical Reaction Networks: Wisdom from Stochastic Thermodynamics},
volume = {6},
ISSN = {2160-3308},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.6.041064},
DOI = {10.1103/physrevx.6.041064},
number = {4},
journal = {Physical Review X},
publisher = {American Physical Society (APS)},
author = {Rao, Riccardo and Esposito, Massimiliano},
year = {2016},
month = dec
}

@article{Avanzini2023,
title = {Circuit Theory for Chemical Reaction Networks},
volume = {13},
ISSN = {2160-3308},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.13.021041},
DOI = {10.1103/physrevx.13.021041},
number = {2},
journal = {Physical Review X},
publisher = {American Physical Society (APS)},
author = {Avanzini, Francesco and Freitas, Nahuel and Esposito, Massimiliano},
year = {2023},
month = jun
}

@article{Wachtel2022,
title = {Free-energy transduction in chemical reaction networks: From enzymes to metabolism},
volume = {157},
ISSN = {1089-7690},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0091035},
DOI = {10.1063/5.0091035},
number = {2},
journal = {The Journal of Chemical Physics},
publisher = {AIP Publishing},
author = {Wachtel, Artur and Rao, Riccardo and Esposito, Massimiliano},
year = {2022},
month = jul
}

@article{Bilancioni20251,
title = {Gears in chemical reaction networks for optimizing energy transduction efficiency},
volume = {16},
ISSN = {2041-1723},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60787-1},
DOI = {10.1038/s41467-025-60787-1},
number = {1},
journal = {Nature Communications},
publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
author = {Bilancioni, Massimo and Esposito, Massimiliano},
year = {2025},
month = jul
}

@article{Bilancioni20252,
title = {Energy transduction in complex networks with multiple resources: The chemistry paradigm},
volume = {163},
ISSN = {1089-7690},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0280649},
DOI = {10.1063/5.0280649},
number = {4},
journal = {The Journal of Chemical Physics},
publisher = {AIP Publishing},
author = {Bilancioni, Massimo and Esposito, Massimiliano},
year = {2025},
month = jul
}