**************************************************************
NWO Computational Life Sciences Program
Project CellMath
Mathematics and computation for the system biology of cells
M.A. Peletier (Principal investigator)

Subproject 
Towards functional models and control analysis of
interconnected metabolic and regulatory networks.
Hanna H"ardin (research assistant, Ph.D. student)
Hans V. Westerhoff (VU.FALW) 
and Jan H. van Schuppen (CWI/VU.FEW.Wisk.) (research advisors)
Klaas Krab (Mentor)

Generalities
The Ph.D. student Hanna H"ardin started her work on the
project on 1 April 2005. She has completed in 2005 a 
master degree in biotechnology at the University of Uppsala.
She is for 100 % appointed at the Faculty of Earth and
Life Sciences of the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.
However, she is stationed for one day a week, thus for 20%,
at the Centrum voor Wiskunde en Informatica (CWI) in Amsterdam.

Study
Since her appointment Hanna Hardin has taken the following
Ph.D. level courses:
- Model reduction of nonlinear systems,
  J.M.A. Scherpen, M. Steinbuch (lecturers)
  A course (Fall trimester) of the research school 
  Dutch Institute of Systems and Control (DISC).
- System identification for control
  P.M.J. Van den Hof, X.J.A. Bombois (lecturers)
  DISC Course (Winter trimester)
- Control and system theory of stochastic systems
  A. Bagchi, J.H. van Schuppen (lecturers).
  DISC Course (Spring trimester)

In addition she was the teaching assistant of the
course System identification of dynamic systems,
Jan H. van Schuppen (lecturer)
offered by the Topmaster Systems Biology of the
Vrije Universiteit. This course was also new for Hanna.

Hanna Hardin has read a very large number of research
papers and books on modeling of biochemical systems, 
system reduction, and system identification 
with Jan H. van Schuppen, about one paper a week.
Hanna Hardin is also taking a course in the Dutch language.


Research
Hanna Hardin has started her project with an investigation
of system reduction of metabolic networks by the method
of linearization of a nonlinear positive system
followed by balancing and truncation.
For glycolysis in yeast, this method was applied.
She has investigated a few more models, including
heart cell mitochondria.
A paper will be presented at a conference in August 2006.

At the time of writing there are two papers co-authored
by Hanna Hardin accepted for publication 
which will both appear this summer.
She will participate in the 
International Symposium on the Mathematical Theory
of Networks and Systems (MTNS.2006) scheduled
for late July 2006 in Kyoto, Japan.
Hanna Hardin will personally present a paper 
at the Workshop on Positive Systems
scheduled for late August 2006 in Grenoble, France.

Hanna Hardin has presented two lectures on her research
at the lecture program of the research group at the
Vrije Universiteit with which she is affiliated.

Hanna Hardin meets her mentor Klaas Krab and her
research advisor Jan H. van Schuppen in principle 
once a week. She meets her research advisor Hans Westerhoff
once or twice a month.

At the request of Hans Westerhoff, Hanna Hardin
has participated in several meetings of European 
projects. 

She has also participated in a three-day 
conference on systems biology held in March 2006
at Manchester University in Manchester, United Kingdom.
In addition she has participated in the 
NWO.CLS Summer School held early June 2006.

Evaluation
Hans Westerhoff, Klaas Krab, and Jan H. van Schuppen 
are very positive about the performance of 
Hanna Hardin in research and study.
She has excellent capabilities for research and teaching.
She will profit from more experience.

***************************************************************