Network Biology Research Laboratories

Biological systems attain their functionality through the activity of multiple interacting elements, the distribution of which ranges over many orders of magnitude in both space and time. To a large extent, the means by which the functionality of these networks develops and evolves in relation to the environment is still a mystery. The Network Biology Research Laboratories, comprising  researchers from four Technion faculties (Medicine, Physics, Electrical Engineering and Chemical Engineering), aims at developing an experimental and theoretical framework for the study of biological networks, with particular emphasis on general mechanisms that allow for robust, yet adaptive, functionality in complex environments.

Our research is centered on two experimental systems originating from different areas of biology. The first system consists of large networks of in vitro neuronal networks grown on a microelectrode array, while the second system is based on evolving yeast populations. The experimental setups will form the inspiration and test-bed for a theoretical effort to develop a universal approach to network biology, which, while aiming at principles, is cognizant of the particularities of specific systems.