Systems Biology: Its past, present and potential

Abstract

This review considers Systems Biology currently as a network of disciplines rather than as an already well integrated field. The diverse views of “what Systems Biology is” are traced to particular challenges and successes in evolving “systems level views” of biological processes within each discipline. The interaction of the different disciplines within this network is already contributing to each discipline’s development and “focussed subnetworks” which could lead to a higher integration level are emerging. The potential impact of Systems Biology in medicine, drug discovery as well as education in the sciences is briefly outlined. The initial activities and successes in initiatives such as SMILES at UP Diliman as well as upcoming challenges for Systems Biology in the Philippines are described. Systems biology could be an important step towards a theory of biology