Genetic regulatory networks enable cells to respond to changes in internal and external
conditions by dynamically coordinating their gene expression profiles. Our ability to make …

It is often assumed that molecular systems are designed to maximize the competitive ability
of the organism that carries them. In reality, natural selection acts on both cooperative and …

Wiring economy has successfully explained the individual placement of neurons in simple
nervous systems like that of Caenorhabditis elegans [1–3] and the locations of coarser …

The patterns and mechanisms of collective decision making in humans and animals have
attracted both empirical and theoretical attention. Of particular interest has been the variety …

It is often stated that human languages, as other biological systems, are shaped by cost-
cutting pressures but, to what extent? Attempts to quantify the degree of optimality of …

Spatially embedded complex networks, such as nervous systems, the Internet, and
transportation networks, generally have nontrivial topological patterns of connections …

Normative theories and statistical inference provide complementary approaches for the
study of biological systems. A normative theory postulates that organisms have adapted to …

Phenotype switching with and without sensing environment is a common strategy of
organisms to survive in a fluctuating environment. Understanding the evolutionary …

A major goal of systems neuroscience is to decipher the structure-function relationship in
neural networks. Here we study network functionality in light of the common-neighbor-rule …

Sensory neurons integrate information about the world, adapting their sampling to its
changes. However, little is understood mechanistically how this primary encoding process …