Monthly Tutorial: Masoud Soroush

Speaker: Masoud Soroush, Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel

Title: Digital Twins: Components and Application to DNA Transcription to mRNA

Abstract:Digital twins—virtual replicas of physical systems that continuously integrate data, simulation, and feedback—are transforming fields from manufacturing to healthcare. In this talk, we first introduce the core components of a digital twin (data acquisition, physics-based and data-driven models, integration layer, and real-time feedback) and then map this framework onto the biological process of DNA transcription to mRNA. We show how the combination of omics data, mechanistic transcription models, and feedback loops can yield a “biological digital twin” capable of predicting transcription dynamics, guiding experimental design, and accelerating synthetic biology workflows.

Speaker Bio: Masoud Soroush is the George B. Francis Chair Professor of Engineering, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Affiliate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Drexel University. He directs the Future Layered nAnomaterials Knowledge and Engineering (FLAKE) Consortium, bringing together about 70 researchers from Drexel, the University of Pennsylvania, and Purdue University. His research spans advanced manufacturing, nanomaterials, membrane separations, polymers, and digital solutions, including physicochemical modeling and process systems engineering.

Location: Towne 215 (Penn), and via Zoom (email Annie for link)

Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees at Penn (please bring your own drinks)!