Systems Biology: Encoding Cell Signaling with Quantitative Molecular Tools and Models

Understanding biologic complexity is at a crossroads as the enormous knowledge gathered during decades of reductionist scientific investigation now needs to be integrated in order to answer the critical questions facing biomedicine today. To predict developmental pathways and phenotype, disease, and treatment outcomes are essential goals. Thus far, inroads have been made through network modeling and an appreciation of systems phenomena such as feedback loops, ultrasensitivity, and bistability and how these principles effect life processes have been gained.
Today, studies at the molecular level are being shown to encode systems level changes. For example, dynamic abundance of a phosphatase can alter tumoricidal activity of NK cells. In a more compelling example, switching of transcriptional programs from an interferon (IFN)-responsive cell to an IFN-secreting cell was dependent on certain enzymatic activity.

Presently, the aim of this Research Topic is to gather current studies in cell and developmental biology that capture the molecular biologic processes that encode systems level changes. For example, does protein quantify alter phenotypic outcomes? Thus, characterizing signal pathways quantitatively with key tools such as single molecule resolution microscopy, biosensor design, and cell tracking and image analysis software will be of interest.

We welcome the following article types: Brief Research Report, Correction, Data Report, Editorial, General Commentary, Hypothesis & Theory, Methods, Mini Review, Opinion, Original Research, Perspective, Review, Technology and Code. 

Topics of interest for this Research Topic include but are not limited to:

 Quantitative models of signaling dynamics

 Dynamic regulation cell proliferation and differentiation

 Inflammatory and immune signaling

 Cell-cell communication

 DNA damage response

 Synthetic biology

 Multi-scale modeling

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Systems biology, quantitative modeling, dynamic networks, signaling pathways, mathematical modeling

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.