The elusive field of systems biology

Abstract

EditorialThe elusive field of systems biologyAllen W. Cowley Jr.Allen W. Cowley Jr.Editor-in-Chief Physiological GenomicsPublished Online:13 Feb 2004https://doi.org/10.1152/physiolgenomics.00007.2004MoreSectionsPDF (19 KB)Download PDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesGet permissionsTrack citations "Systems biology" is quickly emerging as the popular term describing many exciting scientific activities of postgenomic biology. There is now even a department of systems biology (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA), 1 1 http://sysbio.med.harvard.edu/index.html and an institute of systems biology (The Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA) 2 2 http://www.systemsbiology.org associated with prestigious academic institutions, and many of these same elements are being put into place at others. As with any rapidly evolving area of science, it is not easy to formulate a precise definition of "systems biology," nor should we try to put boundaries around it by doing so. At the moment there is clearly uncertainty over what the field is and what it represents. There are a number of reasons for this. One understandable and acceptable reason is that many of the traditional scientific disciplines are a part of systems biology, so each one feels that it can and does represent this exciting new field. Another understandable but unacceptable reason is that some individuals and institutions are recognizing the popularity of this term and applying it to advance their own special interests without adding any value to this truly expansive field. Along with this scenario comes the danger with all buzzwords du jour, that it will be overused and wind up conveying no meaning at all. This would be truly unfortunate, because systems biology, as used by its serious scientific proponents, represents what may be the most important new and revolutionary endeavor of 21st century biology.So what does systems biology really mean, and what is the science that it encompasses? Before attempting to define this new field, it is useful to define some things that it is not. It is not an expansion of any single existing scientific discipline or field of biological research. It is not just a catchy new phrase for "integrative physiology" or "computer modeling" or "systems analysis." Nor can it be characterized by the tools used in a DNA microarray or proteomics facility. It cannot be wholly captured by annotation and correlational analyses using genomic-scale data sets. It cannot be defined as merely descriptions of cellular gene expressions and diagrams showing the clustering of function or interactions of thousands of genes or proteins. Systems biology cannot be defined as the high-throughput phenotyping of thousands of mutated fish, worms, flies, mice, or rats. So, although systems biology is none of these alone, each of these elements represents an essential component of this emerging new discipline. Systems biology, therefore, is not a scientific discipline in its traditional sense. At its core, systems biology represents a renewed recognition that biology is best understood by taking a coordinated, integrative systems view. In practice, systems biology means the application of many currently defined disciplines with the goal of bringing together information from the smallest units of the biological system (genes) to help understand the function of the whole organism. To accomplish this goal, these efforts must also incorporate not only what we know about biology, but also the expertise of our colleagues in the sciences of physics, chemistry, mathematics, and the computer sciences.An increasing number of scientists have recognized that in this postgenomic world, it is imperative that our institutions of science be proactive in creating ways to converge functional genomics and integrative physiology. The limitations of pure reductionism to help us understand complex function have become abundantly apparent. It can be argued that this type of restructuring work is