From the introduction of the chapter:
The use of formal methods to study regulatory networks is currently subject to two major constraints. First of all, the biochemical reaction mechanisms underlying the interactions are usually not or incompletely known. [...] A second constraint arises from the general absence of quantitative information on most kinetic parameters and molecular concentrations.
[...] Few of the modelling and simulation methods that have been developped so far are capable of handling these constraints. In this chapter, we review two related methods that form an exception to the rule.
[...] Both methods are supported by computer tools that allow the user to enter a model of a genetic regulatory network, simulate or analyse its qualitative behavior and interpret the results in biological terms. We will illustrate the methods and the tools by their application to two model systems for development: the choice between vegetative growth and sporulation in B. subtilis and the genetic control of segmentation in the early Drosophila embryo.
More on genetic regulatory networks modelling and simulation |
