How do cells process information?

The dynamics of stimulation is argued to be a significant factor to dictate cell fate, regardless of the identity of the signalling molecules. This study aimed to understand how PC12 cells process information when stimulated with frequency-modulated epidermal and nerve growth factors (EGF and NGF) inside microfluidic device. PC12 cell proliferation and differentiation were quantified as a function of EGF or NGF modulation frequency to establish the relationship between the input and output. The functional form of the input-output relationship was used to identify cell signalling motifs and pathways that might be responsible for extracellular signal processing.