Biomaterial Database

Network biology: a direct approach to study biological function. 2011

Frank Emmert-Streib, and Galina V Glazko

Computational Biology and Machine Learning, Center for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK. v@bio-complexity.com

In this paper we discuss the dualism of gene networks and their role in systems biology. We argue that gene networks (1) can serve as a conceptual framework, forming a fundamental level of a phenomenological description, and (2) are a means to represent and analyze data. The latter point does not only allow a systems analysis but is even amenable for a direct approach to study biological function. Here we focus on the clarity of our main arguments and conceptual meaning of gene networks, rather than the causal inference of gene networks from data. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2011 3 379-391 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.134 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D005434	Flow Cytometry	Technique using an instrument system for making, processing, and displaying one or more measurements on individual cells obtained from a cell suspension. Cells are usually stained with one or more fluorescent dyes specific to cell components of interest, e.g., DNA, and fluorescence of each cell is measured as it rapidly transverses the excitation beam (laser or mercury arc lamp). Fluorescence provides a quantitative measure of various biochemical and biophysical properties of the cell, as well as a basis for cell sorting. Other measurable optical parameters include light absorption and light scattering, the latter being applicable to the measurement of cell size, shape, density, granularity, and stain uptake.	Cytofluorometry, Flow,Cytometry, Flow,Flow Microfluorimetry,Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting,Microfluorometry, Flow,Cell Sorting, Fluorescence-Activated,Cell Sortings, Fluorescence-Activated,Cytofluorometries, Flow,Cytometries, Flow,Flow Cytofluorometries,Flow Cytofluorometry,Flow Cytometries,Flow Microfluorometries,Flow Microfluorometry,Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting,Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sortings,Microfluorimetry, Flow,Microfluorometries, Flow,Sorting, Fluorescence-Activated Cell,Sortings, Fluorescence-Activated Cell
D049490	Systems Biology	Comprehensive, methodical analysis of complex biological systems by monitoring responses to perturbations of biological processes. Large scale, computerized collection and analysis of the data are used to develop and test models of biological systems.	Biology, Systems
D053263	Gene Regulatory Networks	Interacting DNA-encoded regulatory subsystems in the GENOME that coordinate input from activator and repressor TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS during development, cell differentiation, or in response to environmental cues. The networks function to ultimately specify expression of particular sets of GENES for specific conditions, times, or locations.	Gene Circuits,Gene Modules,Gene Networks,Transcriptional Networks,Gene Module,Circuit, Gene,Circuits, Gene,Gene Circuit,Gene Network,Gene Regulatory Network,Module, Gene,Modules, Gene,Network, Gene,Network, Gene Regulatory,Network, Transcriptional,Networks, Gene,Networks, Gene Regulatory,Networks, Transcriptional,Regulatory Network, Gene,Regulatory Networks, Gene,Transcriptional Network
D019143	Evolution, Molecular	The process of cumulative change at the level of DNA; RNA; and PROTEINS, over successive generations.	Molecular Evolution,Genetic Evolution,Evolution, Genetic
D040081	Protein Array Analysis	Ligand-binding assays that measure protein-protein, protein-small molecule, or protein-nucleic acid interactions using a very large set of capturing molecules, i.e., those attached separately on a solid support, to measure the presence or interaction of target molecules in the sample.	Protein Chips,Protein Microarrays,Protein Microchips,Protein Profiling Chips,Protein Array Assay,Protein Arrays,Protein Biochips,Protein Microarray Analysis,Protein Microarray Assay,Protein Profiling Microarrays,ProteinChip,Analyses, Protein Array,Analyses, Protein Microarray,Analysis, Protein Array,Analysis, Protein Microarray,Array Analyses, Protein,Array Analysis, Protein,Array Assay, Protein,Array Assays, Protein,Array, Protein,Arrays, Protein,Assay, Protein Array,Assay, Protein Microarray,Assays, Protein Array,Assays, Protein Microarray,Biochip, Protein,Biochips, Protein,Chip, Protein,Chip, Protein Profiling,Chips, Protein,Chips, Protein Profiling,Microarray Analyses, Protein,Microarray Analysis, Protein,Microarray Assay, Protein,Microarray Assays, Protein,Microarray, Protein,Microarray, Protein Profiling,Microarrays, Protein,Microarrays, Protein Profiling,Microchip, Protein,Microchips, Protein,Profiling Chip, Protein,Profiling Chips, Protein,Profiling Microarray, Protein,Profiling Microarrays, Protein,Protein Array,Protein Array Analyses,Protein Array Assays,Protein Biochip,Protein Chip,Protein Microarray,Protein Microarray Analyses,Protein Microarray Assays,Protein Microchip,Protein Profiling Chip,Protein Profiling Microarray,ProteinChips