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Why Systems Biology Can Promote a New Way of Thinking

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Systems and Synthetic Biology

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Abstract

This chapter deals with the effect Systems Biology had on the Nature of what we consider ‘an explanation’ in Biological Science. I try and demonstrate how the most relevant change carried out by Systems Biology approach was the shift from the molecular layer as the definitive place where causative process start to the elucidation of the among elements (at any level of biological organization they are located) interaction network as the main goal of scientific explanations. This change of perspective allows to dissipate a widespread idealistic nightmare looking at the single molecules as Maxwell-demon-like intelligent agents. The recognition that genes work in networks has as consequence the existence of discrete ‘allowed global modes’ of gene expression. This theoretical expectation was verified by the incredibly narrowspace of different tissues (each corresponding to a largely invariant gene expression profile)—around 200 tissue types for all the metazoans emerging from the transfinite number of possible combinations of the expression values of around 30,000 genes. This is a crucial step for generating a scientifically sound framework to address global biological regulation.

Systems Biology approach makes obsolete the debate between ‘reductionist’ and ‘holistic’ approach in favor of a ‘middle-out’ paradygm formally identical to the time honored chemical thought. This is probably the brightest promise of Systems Biology to scientific knowledge.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environment and Health Department, Istituto Superiore di Sanitá, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Roma, Italy

    Alessandro Giuliani

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  1. Alessandro Giuliani
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Correspondence to Alessandro Giuliani .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala, India

    Vikram Singh

  2. Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Budh Nagar, India

    Pawan K. Dhar

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Giuliani, A. (2015). Why Systems Biology Can Promote a New Way of Thinking. In: Singh, V., Dhar, P. (eds) Systems and Synthetic Biology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9514-2_2

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