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Networks, Metrics, and Systems Biology

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A Systems Theoretic Approach to Systems and Synthetic Biology I: Models and System Characterizations

Abstract

The theory of complex networks plays an important role in Systems Biology. There are extensive discussions in literature about biological networks bearing the knowledge of function and possessing the key to “emergent properties” of the system. One would naturally assume that many network metrics need to be thoroughly studied to extract maximum information about the system. Interestingly however, most network papers discuss at most two three metrics at a time. What justifies the choice of a few metrics, in place of a comprehensive suite of network metrics? Is there any scientific basis of the choice of metrics or are they invariably handpicked? More importantly, do these few handpicked metrics carry the maximum information extractable about the biological system? This chapter discusses how any why the study of multiple metrics is necessary in biological networks and systems biology.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bose Institute, 93/1 Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy Road, Kolkata, 700009, India

    Soumen Roy

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  1. Soumen Roy
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Correspondence to Soumen Roy .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    Vishwesh V. Kulkarni

  2. Bioengineering, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom

    Guy-Bart Stan

  3. Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India

    Karthik Raman

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Roy, S. (2014). Networks, Metrics, and Systems Biology. In: Kulkarni, V., Stan, GB., Raman, K. (eds) A Systems Theoretic Approach to Systems and Synthetic Biology I: Models and System Characterizations. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9041-3_8

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