Workshop: The Roles of Mathematics and Computation in Systems and Integrative Biology, USU Campus, Logan, Utah, Spring 2003

数学和计算在系统和综合生物学中的作用在大尺度（种群、群落、生态系统）和小尺度（化学和染色体）上，定量技术被广泛认为在回答生物学问题上是有用的。可以说，这些努力产生了有趣的数学，统计和定量进步。 然而，在比DNA更大但比种群更小的尺度上，生物学和数学界未能充分利用彼此。 在系统或整合生物学中，这种失败尤其明显。 系统生物学主要关注生物成分如何相互作用，以在更大规模的整合中产生适应行为。我们将系统生物学广泛地解释为包括以下领域：发育过程中的细胞内遗传和蛋白质网络动态，组织反应的整合以在生物体水平上创建动态稳态，神经网络中更高认知功能的出现，以及通过个体生物体的运动和相互作用组织社会系统。 这些问题显然可以从数学、统计、计算和工程分析的进步中受益。 增强系统生物学的数学和计算成分有几个原因。 作为一个积极的好处，因为有许多 由于基因组学、生物信息学和环境生物学在很大程度上采用了定量方法，因此，调查系统生物学中存在哪些类似的机会，以及需要解决哪些关键问题才能实现这些机会，似乎是很自然的。 第二个原因是，在医学、基因组学和蛋白质组学等相互竞争的学科中，越来越多的人成功地强调数学和计算方法，如果系统生物学不接受这些分析方法，它将减少资助机会。 如果我们不能利用数学和计算科学的进步，就可能失去更深入地了解综合生命系统的机会。 我们建议组织一个小型研讨会，以帮助图表如何数学，统计和计算方法是最有可能是有用的综合或系统生物学，存在什么绊脚石，以及如何激励更多的利用定量方法和参与的数学和计算专家在生物学在这些被忽视的尺度。 通过一组领先的研究人员和教育工作者之间的直接讨论，研讨会将i）确定定量分析可以从根本上加强综合生物学研究和教育的最有效方法，ii）确定发展这些多学科技能的直接和长期教育需求[要求] 这将有助于未来在综合生物学中使用定量方法，iii）概述目标和策略，以支持在这些被忽视的尺度上增加系统生物学中定量方法的使用。 该研讨会的组织，以解决紧迫的问题，在系统级生物学的定量方法的多学科使用：如何才能最富有成效地使用这种方法，所有的基石，为他们的使用，以及必须开发什么技术和培训，以充分利用这些技术？ 通过研究这些问题并提出答案，希望研讨会将促进一个全新的科学突破思路。拟议活动的更广泛影响是什么？ 系统生物学，就其本质而言，是综合性的，有助于增加对小规模系统之间关系的理解。 特别是当用模型增强时，这种理解往往会使知识系统化，从而有助于一般的指导和教育。 更具体地说，研讨会的目标之一是讨论什么样的培训是必要的，以促进推进数学和计算在综合生物学中的作用。 这很可能涉及所有领域的各级教育问题：生物学，数学，统计学，计算机科学和工程学。

The Roles of Mathematics and Computation in Systems and Integrative BiologyAt both the large (population, community, ecosystem) and small scales (chemical and chromosomal) quantitative techniques are widely acknowledged to be useful in answering biological questions. Arguably, these efforts have produced interesting mathematics, statistics, and quantitative advances. However, at scales larger than DNA but smaller than populations, the biological and mathematical communities have failed to take full advantage of one another. In systems or integrative biology this failure is particularly telling. Systems biology is primarily concerned with how biological components interact to produce adaptive behavior at a larger scale of integration. We interpret systems biology broadly to encompass areas such as intracellular genetic and protein network dynamics during development, integration of tissue responses to create dynamic homeostasis at the organism level, the emergence of higher cognitive function from neural networks, as well as the organization of social systems by the movement and interaction of individual organisms. Such questions can clearly benefit from advances in mathematical, statistical, computational, and engineering analysis. There are several reasons for enhancing the mathematical and computational components of systems biology. As a positive benefit, since there have been many scientific payoffs in genomics, bioinformatics and environmental biology, which have largely embraced quantitative methodology, it seems natural to investigate what similar opportunities exist in systems biology and what key issues need to be addressed to achieve these opportunities. A second reason is that the increased successful emphasis on mathematical and computational approaches in competing disciplines such as medicine, genomics, and proteomics, will reduce funding opportunities for systems biology if it does not also embrace these analytical methods. An opportunity for deeper understanding of integrated living systems may be lost if we fail to exploit advances in the mathematical and computational sciences. We propose to organize a small workshop to help chart how mathematical, statistical and computational methods are most likely to be useful in integrative or systems biology, what stumbling blocks exist, and how to motivate increased utilization of quantitative methods and participation of mathematical and computational specialists in biology at these neglected scales. Through directed discussion among a group of leading researchers and educators, the workshop will i) identify the most effective ways that quantitative analysis can fundamentally enhance research and education in Integrative Biology, ii) identify immediate and long-term educational needs [requirements] for developing those multidisciplinary skills that will facilitate the future use of quantitative approaches in Integrative Biology, and iii) outline goals and strategies to support increased use of quantitative methods in systems biology at these neglected scales.What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity? The workshop is organized to address pressing questions on the multidisciplinary use of quantitative methodologies in systems-level biology: how may such approaches most fruitfully be used, are all the keystone pieces in place for their use, and what technologies and training must be developed to fully utilize these technologies? By examining these questions and proposing answers it is hoped that the workshop will facilitate a whole new vein of scientific breakthroughs.What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity? Systems biology, by its nature, is integrative and serves to increase understanding of relationships among smaller-scale systems. Particularly when enhanced with models, such understandings tend to systematize knowledge, therefore aiding with general instruction and education. More specifically, one of the objectives of the workshop is to discuss what training is necessary to facilitate advancing the role of mathematics and computation in integrative biology. This is likely to involve educational issues at all levels in all fields involved: biology, math, statistics, computer science, and engineering.