Developing a Landscape Theory for Biological Networks: Principle Concepts and Physical Perspectives

发展生物网络景观理论：原理概念和物理视角

• 批准号: 0926287
• 负责人: Jin Wang
• 金额: $ 79.55万
• 依托单位: SUNY at Stony Brook
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-01 至 2012-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0926287&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Developing; Landscape; Theory; Biological; Networks

The objective of this project is to understand fundamental mechanisms of function, robustness, and evolution of biological networks. The PI will study biological networks in several integrated steps. First, he will develop a universal concept of potential landscapes and establish a theoretical framework based on it to understand robustness, evolution, and function of biological networks in a global and physical way. Second, the PI will develop efficient computational methods to study functions and properties of the underlying landscape for large realistic biological networks. In this way, the PI will be able to deal with large degrees of freedom statistically and surpass any computational bottleneck of search for the vast state space. Third, the PI will explore specific biological networks of cell fate decision in the developmental process and the dynamics of a predator-prey synthetic ecosystem, through the landscape framework, to uncover structure-function relationships. The PI will explore the origin of directionality of cell differentiation. The PI will also explore how the single celled bacteria can be programmed to exhibit complex behavior, and how well controlled exchanges of information, in the form of signaling molecules that regulate gene expression, manifest themselves in the dynamics of interacting populations. The major intellectual merit of this project lies in the understanding of global physical principles, function and robustness of living systems through the development of a universal concept and theoretical framework of landscape across different levels of biological organization.The broader impact associated with the project is through education, training and outreach activities. The PI will integrate his research with his education efforts by designing an interdisciplinary course and a seminar series on biological networks to educate students from different backgrounds. He will initiate domestic and international collaborative joint research and co-education activities on biological networks. The PI will mentor a post doctoral researcher and help him to prepare for further academic or industrial career advancement. This project will also involve some local high school students for summer research projects for outreach education. The PI plans to write popular articles to the public to introduce the landscape concept in a pictorial way so that people can easily grasp the basic ideas.

该项目的目标是了解生物网络的功能，鲁棒性和进化的基本机制。PI将在几个综合步骤中研究生物网络。首先，他将发展潜在景观的普遍概念，并建立一个理论框架，以了解鲁棒性，进化和生物网络的功能在全球和物理的方式。第二，PI将开发有效的计算方法来研究大型现实生物网络的底层景观的功能和属性。通过这种方式，PI将能够在统计上处理大的自由度，并超越搜索广阔状态空间的任何计算瓶颈。第三，PI将通过景观框架探索发育过程中细胞命运决定的特定生物网络和捕食者-猎物合成生态系统的动态，以揭示结构-功能关系。PI将探索细胞分化方向性的起源。PI还将探索单细胞细菌如何被编程以表现出复杂的行为，以及如何以调节基因表达的信号分子的形式良好地控制信息交换，并在相互作用的种群动态中表现出来。 该项目的主要智力价值在于通过发展一个跨越不同生物组织层次的普遍概念和景观理论框架，了解全球物理原理、生命系统的功能和健壮性，该项目通过教育、培训和外联活动产生更广泛的影响。PI将通过设计跨学科课程和生物网络系列研讨会将他的研究与他的教育工作相结合，以教育来自不同背景的学生。他将发起关于生物网络的国内和国际合作联合研究和共同教育活动。 PI将指导博士后研究员，并帮助他为进一步的学术或工业职业发展做好准备。该项目还将邀请一些当地高中学生参加暑期研究项目，以开展外展教育。PI计划撰写流行的文章，以图片的方式向公众介绍景观概念，以便人们容易掌握基本概念。