The principal investigators define biocomplexity as the dynamic web of interactions among genes, organisms, and environments. They will investigate the emergence of biocomplexity and examine its consequences for the performance of living organisms and ecological communities. Parallel experiments will be performed with two very different systems, in order to study general principles. One system employs bacteria, and the other system is digital. The latter consists of special computer programs that self-replicate, mutate, and evolve novel sequences of instructions to solve problems. One set of experiments will monitor the evolution of ecosystem complexity, in which a single progenitor diverges into multiple types that perform distinct functions by exploiting different resources. Follow-up experiments will examine the effects of removing member species on the remainder of the community. Another project will develop the software used for studying digital organisms into an educational tool. This project, which is being supported by the Directorates for Biological Sciences, Computer Information Science and Engineering, Engineering, and by the division of Mathematical Sciences and the MPS Office of Multidisciplinary Activities, will impact several scientific fields, and the findings may provide basic information useful for both environmental and biotechnological applications. For example, ecologists may find principles useful for improving the performance of beneficial organisms in the environment. Computer scientists may discover computational strategies, evolved by real organisms that can be employed in developing more complex software.
