Systems Biology - Properties of Reconstructed Networks

Hardback  334 pp  ISBN 0521859034      £35.00

• First textbook in the new field of systems biology
• Associated website with slides, projects, problems
• Open layout, summary points, guides to literature, lots of illustrations

Genome sequences are now available that enable us to determine the biological components that make up a cell or an organism. The new discipline of systems biology examines how these components interact and form networks, and how the networks generate whole cell functions corresponding to observable phenotypes. This textbook, the first devoted to systems biology, describes how to model networks, how to determine their properties, and how to relate these to phenotypic functions. The prerequisites are some knowledge of linear algebra and biochemistry. Though the links between the mathematical ideas and biological processes are made clear, the book reflects the irreversible trend of increasing mathematical content in biology education. Therefore to assist both teacher and student, in an associated web site Palsson provides problem sets, projects and Powerpoint slides, and keeps the presentation in the book concrete with illustrative material and experimental results.

Contents

Preface
1. Introduction
2. Basic concepts in systems biology

Part I. Reconstruction of Biochemical Networks:

• 3. Metabolic networks
• 4. Regulatory networks
• 5. Signalling networks

Part II. Mathematical Representation of Reconstructed Networks

• 6. Basic features of S
• 7. Topological properties
• 8. Fundamental subspaces
• 9. Null space of S
• 10. The left null space of S
• 11. The row and column spaces of S

Part III. Capabilities of Reconstructed Networks:

• 12. Dual causality
• 13. Properties of solution spaces
• 14. Sampling properties of solution spaces
• 15. Finding functional states
• 16. Parametric sensitivity
• 17. Epilogue

Appendix A. Nomenclature and abbreviations
Appendix B. E. coli core metabolic network
Bibliography
Index.