Cesar Augusto Vargas-García
Publications
Featured Publication
🌿🔬📊🧮 A cell-based model for size control in the multiple fission alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Current Biology (2023) | Read Paper | Code & Data
Our contribution: We developed stochastic mathematical models and computational analysis pipelines to understand size homeostasis in the green alga Chlamydomonas. By analyzing ~1,900 individual cells using single-cell microscopy data, we created a Modified Threshold (MT) model that accurately reproduces cell division behaviors. Our modeling revealed how the retinoblastoma complex uncouples commitment and mitotic size thresholds, providing insights into the evolution of multicellularity. We implemented maximum likelihood approaches for parameter estimation and contributed to experimental design, demonstrating that size control is robust across different growth conditions.
🌱🔬💻📊 Vis–NIR spectroscopy and machine learning methods to diagnose chemical properties in Colombian sugarcane soils
Geoderma Regional (2022) | Read Paper | ArXiv Preprint | Code
Our contribution: Developed and implemented machine learning frameworks for predicting soil chemical properties from visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (vis-NIRS) data. We evaluated three regression methods (Linear Regression, SVR, LASSO) and six classification approaches for 653 sugarcane soil samples. Our models achieved high performance for pH (R²=0.8, ρ=0.89), organic matter (R²=0.37, ρ=0.63), Ca (R²=0.54, ρ=0.74), and Mg (R²=0.44, ρ=0.66). We also developed feature ranking algorithms to identify key spectral bands correlated with soil properties, revealing that visible spectrum bands (450-670nm) are highly informative for most chemical properties.
🧬 💊 Rare cell variability and drug-induced reprogramming as a mode of cancer drug resistance
Nature (2017) | Read Paper | Press Coverage | Network Analysis | Mathematical Methods
Our contribution: Implemented and applied the phixer algorithm to analyze single-cell RNA FISH data, revealing directed gene interaction networks that explain how rare cancer cells coordinately express resistance markers. This computational approach identified key upstream regulators driving drug resistance emergence.
→ Detailed Explanation of Our Discovery
🦠🧫⏱️📏 A mechanistic stochastic framework for regulating bacterial cell division
Scientific Reports (2016) | Read Paper
Our contribution: We developed a stochastic model for bacterial size homeostasis based on a timekeeper protein that accumulates proportionally to cell volume and triggers division at a threshold, formulated as a first-passage time problem. Our framework reproduces key experimental observations including the adder principle (constant volume added regardless of birth size), increased division timing noise in larger cells, and scale-invariant size distributions. This work provides mechanistic insights into bacterial cell cycle regulation and identifies potential molecular candidates like FtsZ and DnaA.
Complete Publication List
For a comprehensive list of publications with citations and metrics, please visit my profiles:
- 📚 Google Scholar - Full citation metrics
- 🔬 Scopus - Indexed publications
- 🆔 ORCID - Complete publication record
- 📊 ResearchGate - Impact and reads
Software & Tools
PyEcoLib (2023)
Python Library for E. coli Size Dynamics Estimation
A comprehensive Python package for analyzing and estimating size dynamics in E. coli populations using stochastic process models.
- 📦 Install:
pip install PyEcoLib - 📖 Documentation: PyPI Page
- 🔬 Application: Single-cell biology research
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