Rule-Based Modeling of Biochemical Systems

The use of rules to represent and simulate the interactions of molecules in biochemical regulatory networks [1] is an emerging area of systems biology that promises to change the way these networks are modeled and understood. The purpose of this proposed workshop is to bring together representatives from major research groups active in this area for the purpose of exchanging ideas, discussing applications of rule-based modeling methods, surveying existing capabilities, mapping out where the field is headed, and developing standards that will promote the exchange of models and the development of new software tools. One goal will be to discuss and (hopefully) settle on a draft proposal for representing multicomponent species and complexes within the framework of the Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML).

Workshop Organization

The workshop organizers are:

• Jim Faeder (Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory)
• Bill Hlavacek (Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory)
• Walter Fontana (Depart. of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School)
• Michael Hucka (Caltech)

This workshop is made possible thanks to generous support from the following organizations:

• The Santa Fe Institute
• Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory
• Beckman Institute BNMC at Caltech

Preliminary Workshop Schedule and Venue Information

We will begin with a reception on Wednesday June 13 (to be held at the Hotel Santa Fe), followed by two full days of meetings at the Santa Fe Institute on June 14 and 15.

Background Readings

The organizers have recently written a comprehensive review of rule-based modeling (Hlavacek WS, Faeder JR, Blinov ML, Posner RG, Hucka M, Fontana W, Rules for modeling signal-transduction systems, Science STKE, 18 July 2006 [2]).