Rudolf Hanel (Vienna):

Almost Linear Systems – A null-model for genetic regulatory networks

Abstract:

Intracellular signalling in general or genetic regulation and enzyme kinetics in specific are processes known to be of highly non linear nature. Yet, the idea of parsimony guides evolution of theory along the way of the simplest available models in sufficient agreement with experimental observations. Almost Linear Systems, - i.e. systems that follow a linear dynamic for the concentration of agents under the constraint that agent concentrations must be non-negative -, can be understood as a null-model of observed genetic regulation processes like for instance - the recruitment of various agents into functional protein complexes. In this way Almost Linear Systems provide a starting-point for a systematic identification of crucial non-linear agent interactions that defy linearization or can be used to predict the dynamics of agents missing in considered assays.

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