University of California, San Diego

Demonstrating that there is a fundamental, unifying principle for the operation of biological networks, one that cuts across phylogeny and type of network, could revolutionize the natural sciences. This project will use a research strategy based on the concept of relational networks, in which the coordinated interactions among functional sectors of the network are more critical than the specific identities of any of the interacting components. The program combines experimental network perturbation and global monitoring in genetic and neuronal model systems, followed by theory development, going beyond the standard computational modeling to capture the essential, relational nature of the system at a higher level. Should there prove to be fundamental, universal principles underlying the relations and function of biological networks, they will have substantial implications not only for many areas of biology, including the prospects for synthetic cells and therapeutic developments, but also for the design and implementation of artificial networks in applications as diverse as computing, engineered devices and communications.