Reviving a failed network through microscopic interventions (IMAGE)
Caption
Networks are a system comprised of many components that interact with one another through a collection of connections, nodes and links. In a well-functioning brain, neural networks assemble the cellular components needed for sensory, motor and cognitive functions. In an active human gut, "good" bacteria help keep “bad” bacteria in check. Due to damaged connections, lost nodes or links, systems may transition from a thriving, active state into a collapsed, inactive state. When this occurs repair is needed to bring the network back to its original structure so that normal function can resume. In a study recently published in the journal Nature Physics, researchers from Bar-Ilan University in Israel show how a system can be steered towards a desired behavior to revive a failed network. They derived a two-step recovery process based on restructuring, to repair damage, and reigniting, to spark the network into activity. Photo: Prof. Baruch Barzel, Bar-Ilan University
Credit
Meshoolam Levy
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