A First Course in Systems Biology

by Eberhard O. Voit, Melissa L. Kemp

A First Course in Systems Biology, Third Edition is an introduction to the growing field of systems biology for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Its focus is the design and analysis of computational models and their applications to diverse biomedical phenomena, from simple networks and kinetics to complex pathway systems, signal transduction, personalized medicine, and interacting populations. The book begins with the fundamentals of computational modeling, then reviews features of the molecular inventories that bring biological systems to life and ends with case studies that reflect some of the frontiers in systems biology. In this way, the First Course provides the reader with a comprehensive background and with access to methods for executing standard tasks of biomedical systems analysis, exposure to the modern literature, and a foundation for launching into specialized projects that address biomedical questions with theoretical and computational means.

This third edition has been thoroughly updated. It provides an introduction to agent-based and multiscale modeling, a deeper account of biological design principles, and the optimization of metabolic flux distributions. This edition also discusses novel topics of synthetic biology, personalized medicine, and virtual clinical trials that are just emerging on the horizon of this field.

Genres: Science, Biology, Textbooks

Kindle Edition

First published March 28, 2012

Reviews

[Edma · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was the first time I was introduced to this kind of approach in biology and computational science. I think that it is very helpful for medical life science students, like myself, but also for bio-statistical or bioinformatics students. it gives an insight on how biological models can be stimulated virtually and how every reaction can be induced virtually in seconds. Every pathway and organism can be modeled and then run, so we can compare the outcome of the sys bio experiments done virtually, with the ones we conduct in lab.
It is a very interesting field, and can overcome so many difficulties we have now days with comprehending certain processes, but still it is an evolving and novel science.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coverage of broad array of systems biology topics. The case studies were interesting (making these interactive could be a big step forward). The bibliography is extensive and worth having for long term reference. Unlike Alon's introduction this takes a neutral approach and reviews / contrasts a wide variety of approaches. IMO it succeeds as an introductory first course.