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Discrete Event Simulation of Biological Control Processes and its Application to Autonomous Decision-Making in Manufacturing Systems
ESPRC Funded Project

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Programme of Work

  1. Extraction of basic mechanisms of biological control and regulation, manufacturing systems design, planning and control and discrete event simulation modelling.
    1. UH will identify, for use by DMU, relevant research papers containing information on the control and regulation mechanisms involved in the sequential assembly of the bacterial flagellar. UH will highlight where possible relevant information sections within these research papers.
    2. From the research papers identified, in Subtask 1.1, DMU will extract the basic principles underlying the range of control and regulation mechanisms employed during the assembly process. UH will provide expert opinion in terms of the validity of the basic principles extracted.
    3. DMU will identify, for use by UH, relevant research papers containing information on the design, planning, scheduling and control mechanisms used within manufacturing systems. DMU will highlight where possible relevant information sections within these research papers. DMU will also provide UH with training on the DES tool to be used, i.e. Simul8. DMU have employed this commercial package, because of its high levels of modelling and simulation flexibility, on previous research projects including those that have been funded by the EPSRC.
    4. From the research papers identified, in Subtask 1.3, UH will extract basic principles underlying manufacturing system design, planning, scheduling and control. DMU will provide expert opinion in terms of the validity of the basic principles extracted.
  2. Development of a discrete event simulation (DES) model of the flagellar assembly process and use of this model to explore the application of outputs from Subtask 1.2 and Subtask 1.4.
    1. With the aid of UH knowledge and expertise, DMU will develop a DES model of flagella assembly using a mixture of traditional manufacturing system modelling elements and novel elements inspired through the outputs of Subtask 1.2. This model will then be used to explore the potential for using biological control principles to increase the levels of autonomous decision-making within IOSs.
    2. UH will identify the detailed modelling functionality required for individual biochemical processes and develop software code. DMU will integrate this code into the DES model.
    3. The model output from Subtask 2.2 will then be used, by UH, to explore the feasibility of using DES as a platform for integration of low level biochemical reactions with the high level control processes.
    4. UH with assistance from DMU will prioritise the outputs from Subtask 1.4 and attempt to relate these to the processes occurring during flagella assembly with the objective of identifying whether specific manufacturing system design, planning, scheduling and/or control principles can assist in promoting further understanding of these biological processes.
  3. Dissemination and verification of the research outputs
    1. UH and DMU will organise a joint workshop to verify and disseminate the research outputs. During the workshop, presentations will be made by both UH and DMU researchers, demonstrations will be provided of the DES models and exercises will be developed to enable workshop participants to explore, within their own research areas, the functionality of the control principles output from the research.
    2. Preparation of EPSRC final reports, and future research and dissemination plans.

Project Management & Risk

Professor David Stockton will be responsible for the overall management of the project, the technical aspects of the manufacturing systems-based project outputs and supervision of Subtasks 1.2, 1.3, 2.1 and 2.3. He will also design and manage the DES training provided to UH as part of Subtask 1.4.

Dr Maria Schilstra will be responsible for the technical aspects of the biology-based project outputs and supervision of Sub Tasks 1.1, 1.4, 2.2 and 2.4.

Both investigators will jointly co-operate in the organization and running of the research output verification and dissemination workshop, ie Subtask 4.1, publication of research papers and preparation of EPSRC final reports.

Progress at an individual institution will be monitored using fortnightly meetings between the Principal Investigator and the Research Fellow. These meetings will be used to review progress, discuss the technical details of the work and complete the short term project planning at each institution. General meetings of the Principal Investigators and Researchers will be held every 2 months and will normally coincide with the project’s deliverables. At these general meetings, Researchers will provide presentations on their work and deliver detailed progress reports and, where possible demonstrate the usage of M&S software examined and developed. Where appropriate other industrial and academic based Systems Biologists and Manufacturing Systems Researchers will be invited to attend General meetings to provide external advice and guidance on deliverables and future activities.

The main risk involved in the project is associated with the efficiency with which biological control processes can manage a complex manufacturing system. Here the assumption that biological control processes are highly efficient and responsive to a cell’s internal and external needs may not in fact be applicable when applied to manufacturing systems. However, such is the richness and diversity of BCPs that if correctly selected some will prove of benefit. In addition, consideration will be given during the project as to how BCP based control systems can be subjected to evolutionary improvement pressures.