Thursday, 9am-3:30pm CDT Texas A&M Institute of Data Science (TAMIDS) is hosting a “Network Science Workshop” organized by Dr. Nate Veldt , assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University. The workshop is in person at Blocker 220. To register for the event, please click here.

Dr. Astrid Layton of the BiSSL group will be presenting as an invited speaker at the workshop, covering work from the BiSSL group in her talk titled “Bio-Inspired Network Design: Using Nature’s Ecosystems to Design Resilient and Sustainable Human Networks.”

Abstract: Inspiration from nature has produced some fascinating, novel, and life changing solutions for the human world. Most of these bio-inspired designs however have been product based. Taking a systems perspective when we look to nature taps inspirations that can improve the critical networks we depend on. This talk focuses on biological ecosystems in particular, complex networks of interacting species that are able to support individual needs while maintaining system-level functions. These networks offer inspiration for achieving both sustainability AND resilience in the design of our human engineered networks. Quantitative ecosystem descriptors and analysis techniques adapted from ecology enable desirable ecosystem characteristics to be used as design guides for things like industrial resource networks, water networks, supply chains, and power grids.

Astrid Layton (2023) “Bio-Inspired Network Design: Using Nature’s Ecosystems to Design Resilience and Sustainable Human Networks” TAMIDS Network Science Workshop. College Station, TX.

Dr. Layton will be giving a lightning talk at the NSF-funded Workshop Convergent Sea Level Rise Adaptation for Urban and Rural Systems in the Gulf of Mexico. Her talk “Nature’s Lessons for Resilient Systems” joins others seeking to collaborate to address the urban and rural system impacts of sea level rise.

Dr. Astrid Layton was invited by the Center for Additive Manufacturing and Design Innovation (CAMDI) in the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin to share BiSSL group work on bio-inspired system resilience. Information about her talk, titled “Learning from Nature to Design Resilient Systems,” can be found in the flying below.

Dr. Astrid Layton was invited by the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Miami to share BiSSL group work on bio-inspired system resilience. Her talk, titled “Using Biological Inspiration to Guide the Design of Human Networks for Resilience” is also now featured in the University’s Climate Resilience Academy UM YouTube series.

Abstract: Biological ecosystems have been through millions of years of R&D, producing complex systems of systems made up of interacting species that are able to support individual needs while maintaining system-level functions. In this talk Dr. Layton will show that ecosystems offer a relatively untapped source of design inspiration for improving the resilience of our human engineered networks in conjunction with goals like sustainability and cost. Quantitative descriptors and analysis techniques are adapted from ecology, enabling desirable ecosystem characteristics to be used as optimization and design guides for industrial resource networks (or eco-industrial parks, EIPs), water networks, supply chains, cyber-physical systems, and power grids. Ecological characteristics such as high levels of materials/energy cycling and a unique balance between redundant and efficient pathways offer novel routes to achieving traditional engineering goals.

Join us for a free design thinking workshop that will start with a focus on bio-inspired system design for resilience and sustainability, followed by a hands-on activity that will exercise your brain to think beyond your normal system boundaries.

Excited to share our BiSSL group’s research to the Environmental & Ecological Engineering Department at Purdue! Feel free to virtually stop by if you’re free, I’ll be talking about “Ecosystems as Design Inspiration for Resilient and Sustainable Human-Engineered Networks.”

Seminar Abstract: Biological ecosystems have been through millions of years of R&D, producing complex networks of interacting species that are able to support individual needs while maintaining system-level functions. In this talk, Dr. Layton will show that biological networks offer a relatively untapped source of design inspiration for improving the sustainability and resilience of our human-engineered networks. Quantitative descriptors and analysis techniques are adapted from ecology through close collaboration with ecologists, enabling desirable ecosystem characteristics to be used as optimization guides for industrial resource networks (or eco-industrial parks, EIPs), water networks, supply chains, and power grids. Characteristics such as a high level of cycling of materials/energy within the system and a unique balance between redundant and efficient pathways are connected back to the achievement of traditional engineering goals such as cost and robustness.

Honored to have been invited to give a graduate seminar in A&M’s Civil Engineering Department for the Environmental, Water Resources, and Coastal Engineering students. Feel free to virtually stop by if you’re free, I’ll be talking about my research regarding “Bio-Inspired System Design: Using Nature to Improve the Resilience and Sustainability of Our Water Networks.”

Seminar Abstract: Biological ecosystems have been through millions of years of R&D, producing complex networks of interacting species that are able to support individual needs while maintaining system-level functions. In this talk Dr. Layton will show that biological networks offer a relatively untapped source of design inspiration for improving the sustainability and resilience of our water distribution networks. Quantitative descriptors and analysis techniques are adapted from ecology through close collaboration with ecologists, enabling desirable ecosystem characteristics to be used as optimization guides for industrial water networks. Characteristics such as a high level of cycling of materials/energy within the system and a unique balance between redundant and efficient pathways are connected back to the achievement of traditional engineering goals such as cost and robustness.

Honored to have been invited to give our department’s graduate seminar later today, I’m looking forward to it! Feel free to stop by if you’re around, I’ll be talking about my research regarding “Using biological inspiration to improve the design of complex human-engineered networks.”

Brief description: Biological ecosystems have been through millions of years of R&D, producing complex networks of interacting species that are able to support individual needs while maintaining system-level functions. In this talk, Dr. Layton will show that these networks offer a relatively untapped source of design inspiration for improving the sustainability and resilience of our human-engineered networks. Quantitative descriptors and analysis techniques are adapted from ecology through close collaboration with ecologists, enabling desirable ecosystem characteristics to be used as optimization guides for industrial resource networks (or eco-industrial parks, EIPs), water networks, supply chains, and power grids. Characteristics such as a high level of cycling of materials/energy within the system and a unique balance between redundant and efficient pathways are connected back to the achievement of traditional engineering goals such as cost and robustness.