European Conference on Mathematical and Theoretical Biology (ECMTB 2026)

A novel cellular automaton approach for modeling genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity in cell systems

MS151-07

15 Jul 2026, 11:50

20m

02.01 - HS (University of Graz)

Minisymposium Talk Multiscale and Multiphysics Modelling Modeling Collective Dynamics in Heterogeneous Cell Populations

Speaker

Simon Syga (Center for Interdisciplinary Digital Sciences, TUD Dresden University of Technology)

Description

Cellular automaton models have long been used to study cellular processes, but may be challenging for incorporating heterogeneity, migratory, and high-density effects. In this work, we introduce an extension of the classic lattice-gas cellular automata, a framework which allows to consider changes in cell numbers, cell–cell interactions, migration, and evolution of genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity. To demonstrate the utility of our approach, we consider a growing population of cells whose genotype—passed on at birth from the mother cell and subject to stochastic mutations—determines their individual proliferation rates. Using spatial simulations, we show that the model exhibits traveling-wave invasion patterns, where the fastest-growing cells accumulate at the leading edge, accelerating population expansion. We predict this behavior using a mathematical analysis based on a mean-field assumption \cite{syga_novel_2026}.

Bibliography

@article{syga_novel_2026,

title = {A novel cellular automaton approach for modeling genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity in cell systems},

issn = {1951-6401},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02186-1},

doi = {10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02186-1},

journal = {The European Physical Journal Special Topics},

author = {Syga, Simon and Nava-Sedeño, Josué Manik and Deutsch, Andreas},

year = {2026},
}