SciPost Submission Page
Les Houches Lectures on Flow Networks in Biology
by Swarnavo Basu, Karen Alim
Submission summary
| Authors (as registered SciPost users): | Karen Alim |
| Submission information | |
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| Preprint Link: | scipost_202508_00076v1 (pdf) |
| Date accepted: | Sept. 23, 2025 |
| Date submitted: | Aug. 30, 2025, 3:52 p.m. |
| Submitted by: | Karen Alim |
| Submitted to: | SciPost Physics Lecture Notes |
| for consideration in Collection: |
| Ontological classification | |
|---|---|
| Academic field: | Physics |
| Specialties: |
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| Approach: | Theoretical |
Abstract
Flows are essential to transport resources over large distances. As soon as diffusion becomes time-limiting, flows are needed. Flows are key for the function of multiple human organs, from the blood vasculature to the lungs, the digestive tract, the lymphatic system, and many more. While physics governs the flow dynamics, biology's response to flows governs the flow network architecture. We start with the fluid physics of Stokes flow, the prerequisite to describe the flows in biological flow networks. Then we explore how the network adaptation dynamics of biological flow networks reorganize network architecture to minimize flow dissipation or homogenize transport, storing memories of past flows along the way.
Published as SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 101 (2025)
Reports on this Submission
Strengths
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Recommendation
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Report #1 by Thierry Mora (Referee 1) on 2025-9-2 (Invited Report)
Strengths
These lectures notes are a comprehensive account of the field on flow networks on biology.
- good self-contained, pedagogical introduction to Navier-Stock, Poiseuille flows and Kirchhoff law for networks, and Murray's law of energy minimization
- excellent review of work on learning and memory, and on network optimization for transportation in leaf networks.
- clear mathematical derivations throughout
Weaknesses
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Recommendation
Publish (surpasses expectations and criteria for this Journal; among top 10%)