Dr Dov Stekel


Dr Dov Stekel

Modelling and analysis of transcription networks and gene regulation; evolution of real and artificial regulatory networks; bioinformatics and systems biology.




Our research group uses mathematical and computer modelling to simulate, discover and understand the mechanisms by which biological systems are organized. We work collaboratively with experimental groups using locally generated data, with large-scale public databases, and with artificial systems that we simulate ourselves. Current projects include:

Modelling gene regulatory networks

We develop mathematical models of biological systems with a particular interest in prokaryotic gene regulation. This includes modelling gene regulation in RK2 plasmids in collaboration with Chris Thomas and modelling acid stress response in pathogenic and non-pathogenic E coli in collaboration with Pete Lund. We use both deterministic and stochastic models and our interest in stochastic methods has led us to form the STOMP network to bring together experimental and theoretical scientists with an interest in stochastic models of prokaryotic gene regulation.

Evolution of artificial regulatory networks

We develop evolvable computer models of artificial regulatory networks, with an interest in adaptation to environments with varying nutritional content and/or stresses. This allows us to carry out experiments in evolution not possible in experimental systems and we relate our work back to real networks.

Comparative microbial genomics

An interest in comparative genomics, and in particular in comparing transcription regulatory networks in different strains of the same microbial species, has led us to involvement in the xBASE project in collaboration with Mark Pallen

Selected publications:


Welham, P.A. and Stekel, D.J. 2009. Mathematical model of the Lux luminescence system in the terrestrial bacterium Photorabdus luminescens. Molecular Biosystems. 5: 68 - 76.

Jenkins, D.J. and Stekel, D.J. 2009. A new model for investigating the evolution of transcription control networks. Artificial Life. 3 (in press).

Fernando, C.T., Liekens, A.M.L., Bingle, E.H., Beck, C., Lenser, T., Stekel, D.J. and Rowe, J.E. 2008. Molecular circuits for associative learning in single-celled organisms. J. Roy. Soc. Interface. In Press. Leadbeater, B.S., Yu, Q., Kent, J. and Stekel, D.J. 2009. Three-dimensional images of choanoflagellate loricae. Proc Roy Soc B. 276: 3-11.

Jenkins, D.J. and Stekel, D.J. 2008. Effects of signalling on the evolution of gene regulatory networks. Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference on the Simulation and Synthesis of Living Systems. 289 - 296.

Herbert, J.M., Stekel, D.J., Sanderson, S., Heath, V.L. and Bicknell, R. 2008. A novel method of differential gene expression analysis using multiple cDNA libraries applied to the identification of tumour endothelial genes. BMC Genomics. 9:153.

Stekel, D.J. and Jenkins, D.J. 2008. Strong negative self regulation of prokaryotic transcription factors increases the intrinsic noise of protein expression. BMC Systems Biology. 2:6.

Chaudhuri, R.R., Loman, N.J., Snyder, L.A., Bailey, C.M., Stekel, D.J. and Pallen, M.A. 2008. xBASE2: a comprehensive resource for comparative bacterial genomics. Nucleic Acids Research. 36:D543-6.

Bowles, E.J., Lee, J.H., Alberio, R., Lloyd, R.E., Stekel, D.J., Campbell, K.H., and St John,. J.C. 2007. Contrasting effects of in vitro fertilization and nuclear transfer on the expression of mtDNA replication factors. Genetics. 176: 1511-26.

Jones, B., Stekel, D.J., Rowe, J. and Fernando, C. 2007. Is there a Liquid State Machine in the Bacterium Escherichia Coli? Proceedings of the 2007 IEEE Symposium on Artificial Life (CI-Alife 2007). 187-191

Stekel, D.J., Sarti, D., Trevino, V., Constantinidou, C., Hobman, J., Salmon, M., Buckley, C., Penn, C. and Falciani, F. 2005. Analysis of Host-Pathogen response in infection using Error Model based Gene Expression Microarray Experiments. Nucleic Acids Research. 33: e53.

Stekel, D.J., Git Y. and Falciani, F. 2000. The comparison of gene expression from multiple cDNA libraries. Genome Research. 10(12):2055-61.

Schettino, G., Folkard, M., Vojnovic, B., Michette, A.G., Stekel, D.J., Pfauntcsh, S.K., Prise, K.M. and Michael, B.D. 2000. The ultrasoft X-ray microbeam: a subcellular probe of radiation response. Radiation Research. 153: 222-225.

Contact Associate Professor Dov Stekel: