Genetic networks: from Computational Complexity to System Biology

Hava Siegelmann, Computer Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst

The concept of a ``genetic network'' refers to the complex network of interactions between genes and gene products in a cell . Since the 60's genetic regulatory systems were described in computer science terms: The genetic material is the ``program'' that guides protein production in a cell; protein levels determine the evolution of the network at subsequent times, and thus serve as its ``memory''. This talk will describe our effort in further understanding whether GN are indeed computers and what the consequences of this are. We will show analyzing the computational complexity of a GN in a cell; constructing a cell collection with behaving properties; and developing a new model explicating the biological circadian rhythm of mammals.

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