Motivation

"With unprecedented access to computational power and information, the prospect of constructing large, detailed biological models is becoming a reality. The considerable challenge will be to analyze and derive meaningful predictions from such models. This challenge may be made easier if there is a significant amount of modularity in biology, since it might then be possible to work at the level of the modules."

BioComplex 2008 brings together a multidisciplinary group of experts to discuss biological complexity and modularity. Of particular interest is how these bear on creating predictive biological models with fine resolution.

Modularity in biology is highly germane to complexity since it simplifies the task of modelling and analysis. Can we rely on the existence of modularity and does evolutionary pressure tend to preserve or diminish it?

Ultimately we wish to represent and manipulate our models on computers. Is there a realistic prospect of having a computational model with sufficient resolution to reliably predict pathology?