Stochastic dynamics of protein-protein/DNA Stochastic dynamics of protein-protein/DNA interaction networks

Multilevel Modelling of Cellular Networks

The traditional experimental approach to study the functioning of cells has been remarkably successful at identifying cellular components and their interactions. In order to piece back together the resulting genetic, biochemical, and molecular information into a physiologically relevant description of the cell, one needs "constructive" methods. Computational modeling has emerged as a promising tool for transforming molecular detail into a more integrated form of understanding complex behavior. I will use the lac operon in Escherichia coli as a prototype system to illustrate the current state, applicability, and limitations of modeling the dynamics of networks at the molecular, cellular, and cell-population levels of organization. I will pay special attention to the intrinsic stochastic nature of molecular events and how it propagates through the different levels of biological organization, all the way up to the generation of behavioral diversity.