Now network science and graph algorithms might have some applications in explaining some of the biological phenomena. Watkins thinks that the dendritic cells c

Now network science and graph algorithms might have some applications in explaining some of the biological phenomena. Watkins thinks that the dendritic cells could be using nanotubes to recruit other cells. Conventional wisdom says that once a dendritic cell is activated, it migrates to the lymph nodes to alert the immune system. Sometimes, it might have to travel from the tip of one's finger to the armpit - a long and perilous journey that could result in failure. But if a dendritic cell first recruits other sentinels, and all of them march towards the lymph nodes simultaneously, there is much less chance of the message being lost. "It allows you to amplify the response," says Watkins. "That's all hypothesis really. We have to prove it."