Handbook on Biological Networks

Book excerpt: Networked systems are all around us. The accumulated evidence of systems as complex as a cell cannot be fully understood by studying only their isolated constituents, giving rise to a new area of interest in research OCo the study of complex networks . In a broad sense, biological networks have been one of the most studied networks, and the field has benefited from many important contributions. By understanding and modeling the structure of a biological network, a better perception of its dynamical and functional behavior is to be expected. This unique book compiles the most relevant results and novel insights provided by network theory in the biological sciences, ranging from the structure and dynamics of the brain to cellular and protein networks and to population-level biology. Sample Chapter(s). Chapter 1: Introduction (61 KB). Contents: Networks at the Cellular Level: The Structural Network Properties of Biological Systems (M Brilli & P Li); Dynamics of Multicellular Synthetic Gene Networks (E Ullner et al.); Boolean Networks in Inference and Dynamic Modeling of Biological Systems at the Molecular and Physiological Level (J Thakar & R Albert); Complexity of Boolean Dynamics in Simple Models of Signaling Networks and in Real Genetic Networks (A D az-Guilera & R ulvarez-Buylla); Geometry and Topology of Folding Landscapes (L Bongini & L Casetti); Elastic Network Models for Biomolecular Dynamics: Theory and Application to Membrane Proteins and Viruses (T R Lezon et al.); Metabolic Networks (M C Palumbo et al.); Brain Networks: The Human Brain Network (O Sporns); Brain Network Analysis from High-Resolution EEG Signals (F De Vico Fallani & F Babiloni); An Optimization Approach to the Structure of the Neuronal layout of C elegans (A Arenas et al.); Cultured Neuronal Networks Express Complex Patterns of Activity and Morphological Memory (N Raichman et al.); Synchrony and Precise Timing in Complex Neural Networks (R-M Memmesheimer & M Timme); Networks at the Individual and Population Levels: Ideas for Moving Beyond Structure to Dynamics of Ecological Networks (D B Stouffer et al.); Evolutionary Models for Simple Biosystems (F Bagnoli); Evolution of Cooperation in Adaptive Social Networks (S Van Segbroeck et al.); From Animal Collectives and Complex Networks to Decentralized Motion Control Strategies (A Buscarino et al.); Interplay of Network State and Topology in Epidemic Dynamics (T Gross). Readership: Advanced undergraduates, graduate students and researchers interested in the study of complex networks in a wide range of biological processes and systems."