Biological networks, as physical systems, comprise interconnected biomolecular or cellular components whose interactions give rise to emergent functional organization in living organisms. They include gene regulatory, protein–protein interaction, metabolic, neuronal, and signaling networks, each instantiated by tangible entities such as DNA, proteins, metabolites, or cells and their spatially constrained contacts. These systems exhibit nontrivial topology (e.g., modularity, hubs, motifs) and dynamic behavior governed by biochemical reaction kinetics, diffusion, and mechanical coupling. Biological networks underpin robustness, adaptability, and information processing in cells and tissues, and are quantitatively studied using tools from statistical physics, nonlinear dynamics, and network theory.
Which genes need to be controlled to guide a stem cell toward a desired cell type or modulate an immune cell's inflammatory response? A Korean research team has developed a general-purpose computational framework that identifies ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 22, 2026
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46
Mitochondria—tiny structures that convert nutrients into energy—are often depicted as discrete kidney bean-shaped objects. But in reality, they form a dynamic, interconnected network throughout the entire cell, rapidly splitting ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 20, 2026
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120
Scientists map the hidden protein network that helps red blood cells adapt to oxygen
Molecular & Computational biology
Sep 19, 2026
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66
Understanding gene regulation may be key to interpreting human disease genetics. Genes are regulated in part by stretches of DNA called enhancers, which define when, where and how strongly each gene is turned on. Mapping ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 17, 2026
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17
Learning is often thought to require a brain. But learning is a broad concept that does not necessarily depend on neurons.
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 10, 2026
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135
It can't be heard, but different parts of the human body are in constant conversation, communicating to keep the entire system running efficiently. For biologists, being able to listen in on this discussion is a long-sought-after ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 9, 2026
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16
The enzymes found in modern organisms are complex proteins, often with multiple folded substructures and specialized catalytic sites. Proteins are encoded by genes. Tracing the history of enzymes across all living organisms ...
Evolution
Sep 3, 2026
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7
Once a cell has locked into an abnormal state—the way cancer cells do—can it ever be restored to normal? A KAIST research team led by Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho of the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering has, for the first ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 21, 2026
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163
More than 100,000 people are awaiting an organ transplant in the United States, with a new candidate added to the list every 10 minutes. Even if the transplant is carried out successfully, recipients must take immunosuppressive ...
Biotechnology
Aug 12, 2026
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21
A new Northwestern Medicine study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has explored the impacts of aging on essential cellular processes, findings that could shape the development of future anti-aging ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 9, 2026
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