A First Course in Systems Biology

by Eberhard O. Voit

A First Course in Systems Biology is a textbook designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Its main focus is the development of computational models and their applications to diverse biological systems. Because the biological sciences have become so complex that no individual can acquire complete knowledge in any given area of specialization, the education of future systems biologists must instead develop a student's ability to retrieve, reformat, merge, and interpret complex biological information. This book provides the reader with the background and mastery of methods to execute standard systems biology tasks, understand the modern literature, and launch into specialized courses or projects that address biological questions using theoretical and computational means. The format is a combination of instructional text and references to primary literature, complemented by sets of small-scale exercises that enable hands-on experience, and larger-scale, often open-ended questions for further reflection.

Genres: Science, Biology, Textbooks

496 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2012

Reviews

[Edma · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was the first time I was introduced to this kind of approach in biology and computational science. I think that it is very helpful for medical life science students, like myself, but also for bio-statistical or bioinformatics students. it gives an insight on how biological models can be stimulated virtually and how every reaction can be induced virtually in seconds. Every pathway and organism can be modeled and then run, so we can compare the outcome of the sys bio experiments done virtually, with the ones we conduct in lab.
It is a very interesting field, and can overcome so many difficulties we have now days with comprehending certain processes, but still it is an evolving and novel science.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coverage of broad array of systems biology topics. The case studies were interesting (making these interactive could be a big step forward). The bibliography is extensive and worth having for long term reference. Unlike Alon's introduction this takes a neutral approach and reviews / contrasts a wide variety of approaches. IMO it succeeds as an introductory first course.