Systems biology: sprint or marathon?

摘要

The availability of complete genome sequences, as well as transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic and structural genomics data, provides the necessary information to start analyzing the living cell as a whole. Although still dominated by its methodological aspects, the field of systems biology is starting to contribute to a better understanding of cell biology, gradually accumulating specific tools and a track record to unify disparate 'omics approaches under a single umbrella of synthetic biology. As it matures, systems biology has the potential to mathematically define networks with the precision necessary to understand, predict, optimize, control and create complex processes in dynamic terms. This issue of Current Opinion in Biotechnology presents a selection of papers that discuss various aspects of the quest to bring quantitative measures to our understanding of the cell, model the cellular processes and eventually adapt them to human needs through biotechnology and genomic medicine.