ECLT

WIVACE 2023 
XVII International Workshop on Artificial Life and Evolutionary Computation
Venice, Italy, 6-8 September 2023

TopicsSubmissionImportant datesInvited speakersOrganizationLocationRegistration
Logo Wivace 2023 | Venice 6-8 September

The International Workshop on Artificial Life and Evolutionary Computation aims at bringing together researchers to present and share their results and ideas in a multidisciplinary context. The workshop provides a forum for the discussion of new research directions and applications in Artificial Life, Evolutionary Computation and in related fields, where different disciplines and research areas could effectively meet. It was first held in 2007 in Sampieri (Ragusa), as the incorporation of two separate workshops (WIVA and GSICE). After the success of the first edition, the workshop was organized in the following years in Venice (2008), Naples (2009), Parma (2012), Milan (2013), Vietri (2014), Bari (2015), Salerno (2016), Venice (2017), Parma (2018) and Rende (2019). After a covid-related gap year, it was organized in Winterthur, Switzerland (2021) and Gaeta (2022).

For information, please contact  wivace2023@unive.it

Topics

Contributions are solicited on a variety of topics, including but not limited to:

  • Bioinspired Algorithms
  • Bioinspired Robotics
  • Coevolution and Collective Behavior
  • Complex Systems
  • Data-driven Self-regulating Systems
  • Evolutionary Computation
  • Evolutionary Approaches to Big Data and Big Data Streams
  • Evolutionary Learning Systems
  • Evolutionary Agents
  • Modeling and Simulation of Artificial and Natural Systems
  • Modeling and Simulation of Social and Economical Systems
  • Modeling of Business Intelligence Systems
  • Neural Computers
  • Neuroevolution: Improving Deep Learning with Evolutionary Computation
  • Self-organizing Cyber-Physical Systems
  • Socio-inspired Swarm Intelligence Algorithms
  • Synthetic and Systems Biology
  • Systems Chemistry
  • Theories and Applications of Artificial Life

Program

Keynote speech Joana Xavier
Autocatalysis and the origins of life on Earth

Abstract:
All life known on Earth is self-referential—it needs previous life to start—and so are simpler autocatalytic systems found in chemistry, where catalysts produced by the system accelerate their own production. In this talk I will present a broad overview of the history and applicability of theories of autocatalysis to the origins of life. I will then zoom in on results obtained in the last decade with biochemical data, in particular with RAFs-Reflexively Food-generated Autocatalytic networks. Because life is never completely independent of the environment in its catalytic requirements, RAFs are an appropriate theoretical framework with the necessary flexibility to investigate the origin of chemical networks that gave rise to the first cells.

Keynote speech Wolfgang Banzhaf
Artificial Chemistries

Abstract:
In the last decades, emergent phenomena have become a topic of high interest in the natural sciences. The realization that it is the interaction of entities that creates the potential for emergence has led, among other things, to the consideration of Artificial Chemistries, agent-based systems whose phenomena are generated by interactions freely defined by the researcher.
In this talk, we shall explain the fundamental ideas of Artificial Chemistries, discuss the general development of this field and give examples of their application.

Keynote speech Michele Vendruscolo
Targeting Protein Aggregation in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract:
The phenomenon of protein misfolding and aggregation is associated with a wide range of human disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. A central role in these conditions is played by protein misfolded oligomers, which are among the most cytotoxic products resulting from the process of protein aggregation. It has been very challenging, however, to target these oligomers with therapeutic compounds, because of their dynamic and transient nature. To overcome this problem, I will describe a kinetic-based approach, which enables the discovery and systematic optimization of compounds that reduce the number of oligomers produced during an aggregation reaction. I will illustrate this strategy for the amyloid beta peptide, which is closely linked to Alzheimer's disease. As this strategy is general, it can be applied to oligomers of any protein in drug discovery programmes.

file pdfProgram WIVACE 202380 K

Submission

All submissions must be made electronically, and will be peer reviewed by members of the program committee. At least one author of each accepted work has to register for the conference and present his/her/their work.

Contributions may be submitted in one of the following forms: 

  1. Full research papers (up to 12 pages) 
  2. Extended abstracts (1-4 pages)
  3. Summaries of already published papers (1-4 pages).
  • Accepted full research papers shall describe original unpublished work, and they will be included in the Proceedings volume (see below for details). Their authors will have to revise their paper (if requested) on the basis of reviewers’ comments and they will be asked to send a camera ready version of their manuscripts soon after the end of the workshop
  • Accepted extended abstracts will be printed in a booklet which will be available at the conference. Their authors will be asked to develop them in a full paper, to be submitted soon after the end of the conference, which will be reviewed like full research papers and, if accepted, will be included in the Proceedings volume.
  • Accepted summaries of already published work will be printed in a booklet which will be available at the conference, and they will not be printed in the Proceedings volume. They should describe some results which are of particular relevance and interest for the Wivace community, where they will be the subject of short oral presentations.

The workshop proceedings will be published by Springer, in the Communications in Computer and Information Science (CCIS) series, which is abstracted/indexed in DBLP, Google Scholar, EI-Compendex, Mathematical Reviews, SCImago, Scopus.

Manuscripts should preferably be prepared with LaTeX, using Springer's LaTeX style package for CCIS, whenever possible.
Otherwise, manuscripts written in Microsoft Word (or any compatible program), using Springer's Word Template for CCIS can also be submitted. Author instructions, the LaTeX style package and the Word template can be found at this link.

file pdfCall for Papers105 K

Important dates

  • Abstract/paper submission deadline: 4 June 2023
    >> EXTENDED deadline: 18 June 2023, sharp

  • Notification of acceptance: 6 August 2023

  • Conference: 06-08 september 2023

  • Submission of post-conference version: 5 November 2023

Invited speakers

The list of confirmed keynote speakers presently comprises:

Wolfgang Banzhaf
Michigan State University

Joana C. Xavier
PhD, Dayhoff Labs in London, UK

Joana is a computational biologist and bioengineer at Dayhoff Labs in London, U.K. She earned her PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Germany) and the University of Minho (Portugal), during which she also worked in the Argonne National Laboratory (USA). She then worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the University of Düsseldorf (Germany), and as a Research Fellow in University College London (UK). She has worked extensively in modelling the biochemistry, origins and early evolution of prokaryotes. She is a founder of the international Origin of Life Early-career Network (oolen.org) and a referee for the $10M Evo2.0 prize for the origins of coding.

Michele Vendruscolo
University of Cambridge

Organization

General Chairs

Local Chair

Local Organizing Committee

Program Committee

Location

Ca’ Foscari
Aula Mario Baratto, Dorsoduro 3246 - 30123 Venice

Wivace 2023 will take place in the Aula Mario Baratto, one of Ca' Foscari's most beautiful venues. This room offers a unique view of the Grand Canal , made even more remarkable by Carlo Scarpa's superb interpretation of its Gothic windows.

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Travel and Accommodation

We suggest you to download the accommodation and travel pdf document with a list of suggested Hotels and how to reach Venice by public transport.
Please take into account that Venice is really crowded in early September, so don’t forget to book your hotel months in advance. Some useful information will be published on this website.

file pdfTravel & Accommodations1.11 M

Registration

The Conference registration fees are as follows:

  • Students: 200 €
  • Regular: 350 €

The fee includes: coffee breaks, 1 conference dinner and participation to 1 social event (Guided tour of the museum of Ca' Rezzonico).

If you wish to be accompanied by a guest in the museum tour, please note that the fee is 30 € and must be paid in advance (Payment form).

Fee payment

Click on the following links to access the payment portal:

file pdfPagoPA Guidelines373 K

Pre-registration form

If you are planning to register for WIVACE 2023, Venice 6-8 Sept. please help us organize the conference by filling in this form. Thank you!