Over recent decades vast amounts of biological data have been accumulated. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to apply traditional theoretical methods to the formulation of coherent pictures of cell and organ function because it is no longer possible for a human theorist to integrate all of the available information. Instead, computer technologies must now be used to perform this integration. This book brings together contributions from many different fields to summarize the current status of computer-assisted modelling of biological processes. The initial chapters deal with fundamental developments in hardware, software and mathematics that underlie current approaches to biological modelling. Next, different approaches to collating data on gene structure and function are presented. These databases form a vital resource for any investigator trying to construct an integrated picture of particular biological systems. Cell signalling systems form a particularly complicated aspect of all cellular function and are important both in the understanding of basic cellular processes and in selecting targets for drugs. Recent approaches to integrating data on cell signalling into computer models are covered. Further chapters build on these approaches to show how computerized models of intact cells can be developed. Finally, approaches to the computer modelling of whole organs such as the heart are presented. The role of computer modelling in drug design is the subject of the final chapter and is also touched on throughout the discussions.

научно-популярная литература

'In Silico' Simulation of Biological Processes

Novel Infectious Agents and the Central Nervous System

Anaphylaxis

Molecular Control of Haemopoiesis

Autism

Sensory Guidance of Movement

The Nature and Origin of Amyloid Fibrils

Growth Factors as Drugs for Neurological and Sensory Disorders

Transport and Trafficking in the Malaria-Infected Erythrocyte

Fatty Acid and Lipotoxicity in Obesity and Diabetes

Higher-Order Processing in the Visual System