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Systems biology perspectives on minimal and simpler cells.
Joana C Xavier1, Kiran Raosaheb Patil2, Isabel Rocha3
1Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews : MMBR
|September 4, 2014
Summary
Scientists explore minimal cells, from reduced genomes to synthetic life, using systems biology and computational models. Research integrates genomics with other
Area of Science:
- Synthetic Biology
- Systems Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- The concept of minimal cells spans genome reduction, the last universal common ancestor (LUCA), and synthetic cell design.
- Research integrates fundamental and applied perspectives on minimal cell research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review diverse areas of minimal cell research, identifying commonalities and complementary aspects.
- To highlight the role of systems biology and computational modeling in minimal cell research.
Main Methods:
- Review of research integrating top-down, bottom-up, and middle-out approaches.
- Integration of genomics with transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome data.
- Application of network modeling to connect genotype and phenotype.
Main Results:
- Minimal gene sets are viewed as a foundation for more complex biological systems.
- Advances in omics technologies facilitate system-wide property understanding.
- Network modeling aids in integrating multi-omics data for pathway analysis.
Conclusions:
- Understanding minimal cells requires integrating genomics with other omics data and network modeling.
- Distinguishing between component reduction and complexity reduction is key for utilizing minimal cells.
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