Advances In Systems Biology

Driven by rapid developments in protein and DNA sequencing technologies, systems biology has become an important research paradigm. It is marked by an emphasis on integrating data on multiple scales and creating a framework for developing predictive models that are valid across the spectrum of structural hierarchies found in biological systems. This book consists of fourteen original chapters and an introduction that together provide a comprehensive introduction to the subject starting from discussions of its definition and scope and ending in detailed reviews of how the systems approach is affecting clinical research and practice. Most chapters are written to be accessible to a wide readership and contain references to the latest research. Altogether, this is a state-of-the-art description of the present and future of systems biology.

This book addresses the design of emerging conceptual tools, technologies and systems including novel synthetic parts, devices, circuits, oscillators, biological gates, and small regulatory RNAs (riboregulators and riboswitches), which serve as versatile control elements for regulating gene expression. Synthetic biology, a rapidly growing field that involves the application of engineering principles in biology, is now being used to develop novel systems for a wide range of applications including diagnostics, cell reprogramming, therapeutics, enzymes, vaccines, biomaterials, biofuels, fine chemicals and many more. The book subsequently summarizes recent developments in technologies for assembling synthetic genomes, minimal genomes, synthetic biology toolboxes, CRISPR-Cas systems, cell-free protein synthesis systems and microfluidics. Accordingly, it offers a valuable resource not only for beginners in synthetic biology, but also for researchers, students, scientists, clinicians, stakeholders and policymakers interested in the potential held by synthetic biology.

The second volume in a series which aims to focus on advances in computational biology. This volume discusses such topics as: statistical analysis of protein sequences; progress in large-scale sequence analysis; and the architecture of loops in proteins.

The International Society for Systems Biology (ISSB) is a society aimed at advancing world-wide systems biology research by providing a forum for scientific discussions and various academic services. The ISSB helps coordinate researchers to form alliances for meeting the unique needs of multidisciplinary and international systems biology research. The annual International Conference on Systems Biology (ICSB) serves as the main meeting for the society and is one of the largest academic and commercial gatherings under the broad heading of ‘Systems Biology’.

This new edition captures the advances made in the field of evolutionary systems biology since the publication of the first edition. The first edition focused on laying the foundations of evolutionary systems biology as an interdisciplinary field, where a way of thinking and asking questions is combined with a wide variety of tools, both experimental and theoretical/computational. Since publication of the first edition, evolutionary systems biology is now a well-known term describing this growing field. The new edition provides an overview of the current status and future developments of this interdisciplinary field. Chapters highlight several key achievements from the last decade and outline exciting new developments, including an understanding of the interplay between complexity and predictability in evolutionary systems, new viewpoints and methods to study organisms in evolving populations at the level of the genome, gene regulatory network, and metabolic network, and better analysis and modeling techniques that will open new avenues of scientific inquiry.

This textbook has been conceptualized to provide a detailed description of the various aspects of Systems and Synthetic Biology, keeping the requirements of M.Sc. and Ph.D. students in mind. Also, it is hoped that this book will mentor young scientists who are willing to contribute to this area but do not know from where to begin. The book has been divided into two sections. The first section will deal with systems biology – in terms of the foundational understanding, highlighting issues in biological complexity, methods of analysis and various aspects of modelling. The second section deals with the engineering concepts, design strategies of the biological systems ranging from simple DNA/RNA fragments, switches and oscillators, molecular pathways to a complete synthetic cell will be described. Finally, the book will offer expert opinions in legal, safety, security and social issues to present a well-balanced information both for students and scientists.

"This book presents new techniques that have resulted from the application of computer science methods to the organization and interpretation of biological data, covering three subject areas: bioinformatics, computational biology, and computational systems biology"--

This book contributes to better understand how lifestyle modulations can effectively halt the emergence and progression of human diseases. The book will allow the reader to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms by which the environment interferes with the bio-molecular regulatory processes underlying the emergence and progression of complex diseases, such as cancer. Focusing on key and early cellular bio-molecular events giving rise to the emergence of degenerative chronic disease, it builds on previous experience on the development of multi-cellular organisms, to propose a mathematical and computer based framework that allows the reader to analyze the complex interplay between bio-molecular processes and the (micro)-environment from an integrative, mechanistic, quantitative and dynamical perspective. Taking the wealth of empirical evidence that exists it will show how to build and analyze models of core regulatory networks involved in the emergence and progression of chronic degenerative diseases, using a bottom-up approach.