International Conference: Frontiers in Systems and Synthetic Biology in Atlanta, Georgia March 20-24, 2013

智力成就系统生物学的标志通常是追求理解生物系统的功能。一旦获得了这样的理解，就可以利用它来操纵和优化现有的系统，以实现有价值的目标，或者在合成生物学的新兴领域中创建全新的系统。有趣的是，在系统生物学的实践者中，“理解生物系统”的含义差别很大。对一些人来说，这是对组成部分和过程的数学表示的确认，当合并到一个更大的模型中时，它们适合在一起，并共同产生与现实中观察到的相似的响应。如果是这样，我们就可以假设，用这个模型进行进一步的预测也是相当可靠的。在有趣的情况下，流程的合并有可能导致新的、正在出现的属性。其他人将非常精确的模拟系统集合定义为理想的目标，包括完整的细胞模拟器。就像用于飞行员训练的飞行模拟器一样，生物系统模拟器可以模拟简单、经常遇到的情况，也可以模拟非常罕见和复杂的紧急情况或异常情况，从而磨练学生和研究人员的技能和直觉。然而，也有人将“理解”定义为以网络主题或设计和操作原则的形式发现和阐明一般组织原则。这种理解的解释旨在解释和合理化为什么大自然使用某些结构和策略来解决特定的任务，而不是看起来同样合理的替代方案。不难想象，不同的目标是用真正不同的计算方法来解决的。会议将集中讨论这些明显不同的目标之间的相互作用，这些目标显然涉及同一现象的不同方面。它将促进对不同变体、它们的目的和方法的讨论，并帮助该领域在追求其他变体时描述一个变体的作用。会议还将鼓励有关生物学家、计算科学家和工程师在系统生物学和合成生物学等新兴领域的教育的报告。更广泛的影响本次会议将保持相对较小的规模，预计约有100名与会者。这种规模对学生和初级教师特别有吸引力，他们将有机会与该领域的领导者面对面。高级研究人员将被邀请进行介绍性演讲，但将尽一切努力确保初级同事和学生在计划的设计和会议的执行中享有利益。为此，组委会将由两名高级教师和三名初级教师组成，其中包括两名来自弱势群体的成员，以及两名学生。在预算允许的情况下，鼓励学生和博士后参加并发表演讲和海报，并在竞争的基础上给予会议费用减免和旅行津贴。

Intellectual MeritThe hallmark of systems biology is often presented as the pursuit of understanding how biological systems function. Once such understanding is gained, it can be utilized to the manipulation and optimization of existing systems toward worthwhile goals or toward the creation of entirely new systems within the nascent field of synthetic biology. Interestingly, the meaning of "understanding biological systems" varies quite widely among the practitioners of systems biology. For some, it is the confirmation that mathematical representations of components and processes, when merged into a larger model, fit together and collectively yield responses similar to those observed in actuality. If so, one assumes that further predictions with the model are reasonably reliable as well. In interesting cases, the merging of processes has the potential of leading to new, emerging properties. Others define as the desirable goal a collection of very accurate simulation systems, including complete cell simulators. Like a flight simulator that is used for pilot training, a biological systems simulator could mimic simple, frequently encountered situations, as well as very rare and complex emergencies or outliers, and thereby hone skill and intuition of students and researchers alike. Yet others define "understanding" as the discovery and elucidation of general organizing principles in the form of network motifs or design and operating principles. This interpretation of understanding aims to explain and rationalize why nature uses certain structures and strategies to solve specific tasks, but not alternatives that seem equally reasonable. As one easily imagines, the different goals have been addressed with genuinely different computational methods.The conference will focus on the interplay between these apparently disparate goals, which clearly address different aspects of the same phenomena. It will facilitate discussions of the different variants, their purposes, and methods, and help the field characterize the role of one in the pursuit of the others. The conference will also encourage presentations on the education of biologists, computational scientists and engineers in the emerging fields of systems and synthetic biology.Broader ImpactsThe conference will be kept relatively small, with an expected enrollment of about 100 participants. This size will be particularly appealing to students and junior faculty, who will have the opportunity to meet leaders in the field face to face. Senior researchers will be invited to present introductory talks, but every effort will be made to assure that junior colleagues and students have a stake in the design of the program and the execution of the conference. To this end, the organizing committee will consist of two senior and three junior faculty, including two members from underserved groups, as well as two students. Students and postdoctoral fellows will be encouraged to participate and present talks and posters and be given, on a competitive basis, conference fee waivers and travel stipends, as far as the budget allows.