Systems Biology
Systems Biology uses information obtained through experimental analysis and models this in the complex environment of the living cell. It takes full account of the functional properties that arise in the dynamic interactions between molecules. Accordingly, Systems Biology depends on the integrated implementation of a wide variety of scientific disciplines, ranging from molecular/cell biology and analytical chemistry to mathematics, informatics and text mining. Drawing on the rigorous physicochemical properties of biomolecular components elucidated in the BMC theme, Systems Biology generates models of life that account for the “emergent properties” of complex biomolecular systems. This represents a new era of quantitative analysis of biosystems, since the properties arising from complex interactions could not be meaningfully analysed using earlier, qualitative methods. This theme incorporates the globally recognised Manchester Centre for Integrative Systems Biology (MCISB), coupled to the Manchester Doctoral Training Centre in Systems Biology, and the National Centre for Text Mining (NaCTeM).
Biomolecules and biomolecular complexes self-assemble to form larger entities with a diversity of structural and functional topologies and levels of complexity. The systems we study range from metabolic pathways, through gene expression pathways and biomolecular machines to organelles and whole cells.
Errors in self-assembling molecular systems can lead to human disease. For example, specific inhibitors of amyloid formation would be valuable in the treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Creuzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), Kuru, Type II diabetes, Cataract and Parkinson’s disease (see the work of Senexis).
The BBSRC and EPSRC have invested substantially in the Manchester Centre for Integrative Systems Biology, which is a centre of excellence for Systems Biology. Although the technology we develop is generic, the core programme of the MCISB aims at the complete systems biology of baker’s yeast. In an often high-throughput fashion it will determine the interactive properties of macromolecules and then put these into a mathematical model. Upon computational integration, this yields a model of the behaviour of the yeast cells, which is compared iteratively with experiment.
MCISB’s core programme serves to develop and test a multitude of systems biology tools and approaches, which are then used in many additional research projects. The latter address systems ranging from the protein synthetic machinery to signal transduction in human cells in the context of tumorigenesis and drug design. The MCISB is an international hub for Systems Biology, with a partner institute in Amsterdam and with leading roles in international systems biology consortia that focus on yeast, E. coli and receptor tyrosine kinases.
A Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) for Systems Biology is also associated with the MCISB. This is one of only three DTCs funded nationally.
Group Leaders: Sophia Ananiadou, Ardeshir Bayat, Gerold Baier, Philip Day, Claire Eyers, Roy Goodacre, John Hyde, Dean Jackson, John Keane, Doug Kell, Joshua Knowles, Josip Lovric, John McCarthy, John McNaught, Pedro Mendes, Goran Nenadic, Paul Sims, Jun’ichi Tsujii, Hans Westerhoff.