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OCR for page 27
3
Summary of Key Points
More than two dozen experts from across the country met at the
National Academies to discuss the promise of systems microbiology
and to identify the multiple strategies and novel experimental tools
needed to explore these systems. Although formal conclusions and recom-
mendations will not come from this workshop, many insights into the future
of the field can be gleaned from the discussion described here. The major
points are summarized below.
APPLICATION OF THE SYSTEMS APPROACH
· The study of single-organism and multiorganism microbial commu-
nities, as illustrated by the two case studies, can greatly benefit from appli-
cation of systems biology. To apply that approach successfully, we need to
define systems with closed boundaries and identify the goals of studies.
MODELING
· Modeling can play a major role in helping us to understand biological
systems. Software infrastructure and other interoperable tools for systems
microbiology are needed to facilitate modeling.
· Successful modeling requires defined multiple goals. If the goal of
modeling is to understand biological processes, modelers can help biolo-
gists to identify key components that reveal biological structure. For
predictive modeling, modelers can help biologists to identify parameters
that exert the most influence and the governing principles that place con-
27
OCR for page 28
28
PROMISE AND CHALLENGES IN SYSTEMS MICROBIOLOGY
straints on the variables to be modeled. Mode! parameters should be those
that have a large influence on the predicted outcome.
TOOLS
· Having commercial access to assays, gene chips, and other novel
tools of biotechnology would streamline scientific research by allowing
biologists to concentrate on fundamental questions, rather than preparing
the actual tools. Access to inexpensive tools, such as the affordable gene
chips provided by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, would also encourage
increased research.
· Although databases on microorganisms exist, they are not connected
to each other, so microbiologists cannot move from one database to another
easily. To conduct a comprehensive search, they must be aware of various
databases. Furthermore, information in some databases is outdated, and
nomenclature is not uniform among databases. Effort is required to update
the databases, and software engineers are needed to design technologic
infrastructure that will link databases seamiessly.
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
· Biologists need to learn more about systems approaches and learn
enough mathematics and computing knowledge to communicate with
systems engineers who design software and computational technologies.
Systems engineers could benefit from learning more about biology and the
interesting questions that could be answered by their discipline.
· Interdisciplinary research projects would be encouraged by increased
long-term funding opportunities. Scientists can facilitate collaboration not
only by learning a common language but by designing projects that are of
interest to scientists working in different fields.
· Training people with enough overlap of various disciplines will allow
them to communicate with one another. New graduate and undergraduate
curricula could be developed to facilitate such training.
· Experienced scientists can take advantage of short courses offered
by various research centers to learn more about other disciplines.
· Focusing systems microbiology too narrowly around microbiology,
modeling, and computational biology could exclude important fields of
knowledge that are essential for the understanding of the complexities of
systems. Biochemistry, organic and inorganic chemistry, physics, economics,
and other disciplines should all play a role in the exploration of microbial
ecosystems.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
help biologists
