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On the Search for Design Principles in Biological Systems

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Evolutionary Systems Biology

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((volume 751))

Abstract

The search for basic concepts and underlying principles was at the core of the systems approach to science and technology. This approach was somehow abandoned in mainstream biology after its initial proposal, due to the rise and success of molecular biology. This situation has changed. The accumulated knowledge of decades of molecular studies in combination with new technological advances, while further highlighting the intricacies of natural systems, is also bringing back the quest-for-principles research program. Here, I present two lessons that I derived from my own quest: the importance of studying biological information processing to identify common principles in seemingly unrelated contexts and the adequacy of using known design principles at one level of biological organization as a valuable tool to help recognizing principles at an alternative one. These and additional lessons should contribute to the ultimate goal of establishing principles able to integrate the many scales of biological complexity.

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Acknowledgements

I thank Raúl Guantes for discussions over the years, Francisco M. Camas for discussions and comments on an earlier draft, and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (Spain) Grant BFU2008-03632/BMC for funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Logic of Genomic Systems Laboratory, Spanish National Biotechnology Centre, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain

    Juan F. Poyatos

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  1. Juan F. Poyatos
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Correspondence to Juan F. Poyatos .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter, EX4 4SB, Devon, United Kingdom

    Orkun S. Soyer

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Poyatos, J.F. (2012). On the Search for Design Principles in Biological Systems. In: Soyer, O. (eds) Evolutionary Systems Biology. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 751. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3567-9_9

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