Networks Everywhere? Some General Implications of an Emergent Metaphor

Authors: Palumbo, Maria C.; Farina, Lorenzo; Colosimo, Alfredo; Tun, Kyaw; Dhar, Pawan K.; Giuliani, Alessandro

Source: Current Bioinformatics, Volume 1, Number 2, May 2006 , pp. 219-234(16)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

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Abstract:

The use of the term 'network' is more and more widespread in all fields of biology. It evokes a systemic approach to biological problems able to overcome the evident limitations of the strict reductionism of the past twenty years. The expectations produced by taking into considerations not only the single elements but even the intermingled 'web' of links connecting different parts of biological entities, are huge. Nevertheless, we believe the lack of consciousness that networks, beside their biological 'likelihood', are modeling tools and not real entities, could be detrimental to the exploitation of the full potential of this paradigm. In this mini review the basic concepts of network analysis are presented, together with the relationships linking network approach to other more established modeling tools as multivariate data analysis and differential equations. Some applications of network based modeling of different biological phenomena are reported as well and the specific advantages of adopting such strategies are stressed together with the inescapable limitations.

Keywords: Systems biology; metabolomics; genomics; computational biology

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157489306777011905

Affiliations: 1: Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.

Publication date: 2006-05-01

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Current Bioinformatics aims to publish all the latest and outstanding developments in bioinformatics. Each issue contains a series of timely, in-depth reviews written by leaders in the field, covering a wide range of the integration of biology with computer and information science.

The journal focuses on reviews on advances in computational molecular/structural biology, encompassing areas such as computing in biomedicine and genomics, computational proteomics and systems biology, and metabolic pathway engineering. Developments in these fields have direct implications on key issues related to health care, medicine, genetic disorders, development of agricultural products, renewable energy, environmental protection, etc.

Current Bioinformatics is an essential journal for all academic and industrial researchers who want expert knowledge on all major advances in bioinformatics.

Networks Everywhere? Some General Implications of an Emergent Metaphor

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