In order to model the cell it is essential to
understand the communication
system that
governs its behaviour. Though it is true that determining the
kinetic equations of the biochemistry involved in vital functions is
very useful, the management of the information in order for the cell
to make the correct physiological decisions is even more so. This
can be appreciated in the determinacy of the correct function of
oncogenes
coding for signal transduction
components. We emulate a signal transduction network using
behaviour-based systems and the blackboard
architecture.
Our construct, named
Cellulat, allows one to observe two essential aspects of the
intracellular signalling
networks: (1) the apparent behavioural
capabilities and (2) a spatial organization. The first user
interfaces for creating a model cell are presented, the ontology
used, as well as a simple example for the analysis of a kinase
pathway.