Marian Walhout featured in Cell
‘More is different’ in systems biology, says Dr. Walhout
By Jim Fessenden
UMass Medical School Communications | March 24, 2011 |
A leader in the field of systems biology, Marian Albertha J. Walhout, PhD, associate professor of molecular medicine, was featured this month in a special issue of
Cell exploring the future of this increasingly important field.
Systems biology focuses on how relatively simple cellular and molecular building blocks work together in a dynamic manner to form complex biological systems. In a new
Cell feature called “Voices,” Dr. Walhout and four of her colleagues from the field offer their perspective on where the future of systems biology lies.
In the article, Walhout wrote, “More is different. This idea implies that entirely new concepts will emerge from studying increasingly large systems . . . A deep and comprehensive knowledge of the way that systems develop and maintain homeostasis and respond to outside cues or insults will ultimately be essential to understand how systems go awry during aging and in disease.”
Read the March 18 issue of Cell