System Biology is the branch of science that seeks to understand biological organisms at all levels, since the characterization of its constituent parts (genes, RNAs, proteins, metabolites), the elucidation of the interconnections between the different members of the network of gene regulation until the comprehension of the organism as a whole.

Biological systems are dynamic, using complex cellular circuits to implement various functions, how to grow, differentiate and reproduce. High-throughput technologies that exploit data from transcriptome, proteome, protein-protein, protein-DNA, protein-RNA interactions, among others, represent powerful tools for the systemic analysis. However, each of these individual data sets do not reflect a global view of cell behavior, since that complexity of living organisms is an emergent property, inherent not only genes, RNAs, proteins or metabolites, but is a consequence of their actions and interactions.

To face this challenge, the systems biology uses a multidisciplinary approach, using molecular tools, computational mathematics and statistics, to create quantitative models that integrate the various data accumulated and describe the behavior of living organisms in response to environmental disturbances.

Literature suggested:
Koide, T., Pang, W. L., & Baliga, N. S. (2009). The role of predictive modelling in rationally re-engineering biological systems. Nature Reviews Microbiology

Ideker, T., Galitski, T., & Hood, L. (2001). A new approach to decoding life: systems biology. Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics

Nandagopal, N., & Elowitz, M. B. (2011). Synthetic biology: integrated gene circuits. Science

undefined