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Molecular Logic: Brief Introduction and Some Philosophical Considerations

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Molecular Logic and Computational Synthetic Biology (MLCSB 2018)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNTCS,volume 11415))

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Abstract

In the present article a brief historical and systematic introduction to the field of molecular logic are proposed. Some relevant philosophical consequences derived from the technical treatment of this topic are also exposed. These consequences are made explicit in three fundamental questions. Some of the proposed methods for the representation of the intracellular molecular dynamics are also presented and the advantages and limitations that the different methods exhibit when modeling natural biological circuits are evaluated. The Boolean approach to molecular logic is considered with special attention in this article, emphasizing that “logic gates” have proven to be functionally appropriate for analyzing experimental information, however, they present limitations to capture complex biological processes. In relation to this last point, the problem presented by the modeling of continuous variables through discrete systems is studied in depth. It is explained then the need to have adequate logic to the phenomenon and its characteristics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEAR – Centre for the Study of Argumentation and Reasoning of the Faculty of Psychology at Diego Portales University, Santiago, Chile

    Claudio Fuentes Bravo

  2. Department of Experimental Oncology Laboratory of Stem Cell Epigenetics, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy

    Patricio Fuentes Bravo

Authors
  1. Claudio Fuentes Bravo
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  2. Patricio Fuentes Bravo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Claudio Fuentes Bravo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inria Sophia Antipolis - Méditerranée, Inria, Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

    Madalena Chaves

  2. Department of Mathematics, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

    Manuel A. Martins

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Bravo, C.F., Bravo, P.F. (2019). Molecular Logic: Brief Introduction and Some Philosophical Considerations. In: Chaves, M., Martins, M. (eds) Molecular Logic and Computational Synthetic Biology. MLCSB 2018. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 11415. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19432-1_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19432-1_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-19431-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-19432-1

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