Shape, Size, and Robustness: Feasible Regions in the Parameter Space of Biochemical Networks
2009

Understanding Robustness in Biochemical Networks

publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Dayarian Adel, Chaves Madalena, Sontag Eduardo D., Sengupta Anirvan M.

Primary Institution: Rutgers University

Hypothesis

How does the geometry of the feasible region in parameter space affect the robustness of biochemical networks?

Conclusion

The study reveals that both the volume and the geometry of the feasible region significantly influence the robustness of biochemical networks.

Supporting Evidence

  • The geometry of the feasible region provides insights into the robustness and fragility of biochemical networks.
  • Random walks in parameter space reveal how networks fail under perturbations.
  • The study compares two models of the segment polarity network to assess robustness.

Takeaway

This study looks at how certain networks in biology can stay stable even when things change around them, and it finds that the shape of the space where these networks can work is really important.

Methodology

The authors developed a new approximation to characterize the feasible region in parameter space and analyzed the segment polarity gene network using random walks.

Limitations

The study primarily focuses on the segment polarity network and may not generalize to all biochemical networks.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000256

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