Systems Biology in Practice: Concepts, Implementation, and Application (Klipp, E., et al; 2005) [Book Review]

Abstract

populated with homework problems, solutions manuals, MATLAB files, and WebCT files (for those using that courseware). Overall, instructors selecting this book will be disappointed if they are expecting a traditional instrumentation text. For example, the circuits and sensors portion of the text is just a fraction of the size of the section on probability and statistics. However, if the focus of the class is to be on measurements, this book does an excellent job of taking a student from basic physics up to signal processing. Like many books, the lack of BME examples means that an instructor will have to supplement the text throughout. Despite these limitations, Dunn’s new text is a welcome addition to the possibilities for biomedical measurements classes. —Robert Malkin Duke University Systems Biology in Practice: Concepts, Implementation and Application Edda Klipp, Ralf Herwig, Axel Kowald, Christopher Wierling, and Hans Lehrach, Wiley-VCH, 2005. ISBN-13: 9783-527-31078-4, 465 pages, US$160.00. Systems biology is the emerging approach and philosophy for the study and investigation of biomolecular and chemical interactions, driven by advances in experimental techniques and applications of computational models. This text approaches biology, more specifically cell-related biology, from an approach perhaps more common in engineering than in biology. This is first evident in the systems approach used by the authors, although this method is different from that commonly associated with systems physiology. This distinction is much more than the macroview of systems physiology versus the microoutlook of cellular networks and interactions. The authors even refer to this systems approach as the practice of biology, much as engineers might refer to the practice of engineering. The intent of the book is to offer a survey for those adept in biology, biophysics, and bioinformatics and for researchers in allied fields. The authors apply several trinities in their definition of and approach to systems biology. The three elements used to define systems biology are the coordinated investigation of cellular networks and interactions, applying experimental and laboratory techniques, and computational model integration. The three aspects causing the need for an evolving systems view relate to emerging computational modalities and tools and are experimentation, data handling, and mathematical modeling.