Adaptive Biomolecular Networks: From Emergent Living Computation to Cybergenetic Cell Therapy
Abstract:
Living cells are not passive—they process information, adapt to changes, and make robust decisions that sustain life in fluctuating environments. In this talk, I will show how mathematical principles such as Robust Perfect Adaptation reveal the foundations of these capabilities and guide the design of adaptive molecular networks. Building on these insights, we can engineer cybergenetic cells—living systems equipped with genetic control systems that sense disease signals and deliver precisely regulated therapeutic responses. By uniting rigorous molecular control theory with the vision of emergent living computation, this work highlights how adaptive molecular networks can provide the control backbone that supports both programmable cellular behavior and transformative cell-based therapies.
Biography:
Mustafa Khammash is Professor of Control Theory and Systems Biology at ETH Zurich. Trained as an electrical engineer (B.S., Texas A&M, 1986; Ph.D., Rice University, 1990), he began his career at Iowa State University, where he founded the Dynamics and Control Program. He later joined the University of California, Santa Barbara, as Director of the Center for Control, Dynamical Systems, and Computation, before moving his group to ETH Zurich in 2011, where he has also served as Vice Chair and Head of the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering.
Khammash’s research bridges control theory, systems biology, and synthetic biology, with a focus on dynamics, feedback, and stochasticity in living systems. His group has pioneered Cybergenetics—the real-time control of living cells—developing theory, computational methods, and experimental platforms that connect engineering principles with biological function. Beyond foundational advances, his recent work is translating synthetic biology toward clinical applications, including engineered cells that sense disease and deliver therapy in situ.
He is a Fellow of the IEEE, the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), and the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (APAIA). He is also a recipient of two European Research Council Advanced Grants (ERC-AdG) and a Swiss National Science Foundation Advanced Grant (SNF-AdG).
Part of the Illinois Computer Science Speakers Series.
Food will be provided after the seminar.
If accommodation is required, please email <communications@cs.illinois.edu>. Someone from our staff will contact you to discuss your specific needs.