Research Project

Modelling the Dynamics of Cellular Networks using Inverse Methods

Project type: Research Project
Programme: Mathematics and...
Call: Mathematik und … Call 2004
Start: 01.06.2005
Duration: 3,50 years
Grant awarded: 500.000 €
Keywords: Inverse Methods, Systems Biology, Reaction Kinetics, Software Engineering

Christoph Flamm

University of Vienna
Theoretical Biochemistry Group

Project partners: Heinz Engl (Johann Radon Institute for Computation and Applied Mathematics - RICAM)
Philipp Kuegler (Johannes Kepler Univerity Linz, Industrial Mathematics Institute)
Gottfried Koehler and Peter Schuster (University of Vienna, Theoretical Biochemistry Group)Universität Wien

Genetic and metabolic reaction networks of cells are modeled by multidimensional nonlinear ODEs using a purpose oriented software package (MiniCellSim) developed in house. This conventional (forward) analysis of biologically relevant dynamical systems will be complemented by usage of existing and design of novel methods to solve inverse problems. Unknown or inaccurately accessible parameters will be reconstructed from recorded solution curves (Level I) and the qualitative behavior of the dynamical systems will be engineered by means of calculated changes in the external conditions (Level II). Reverse engineering techniques will be applied to experimentally accessible chemical reaction networks containing autocatalytic terms, which lead to typical nonlinear phenomena. The algorithms will be scaled up to the size of small modules of cellular metabolism in order to be ready for applications to real biological problems.

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