Supercomputers Use Machine Learning to Gain New Insights into Complex Cellular Processes

A persisting question in biology asks whether nature or nurture represents the primary determinant of biological variation among individuals of the same species. "Both," explains Levin as he describes the complex interaction of the two elements in a living being. "If we use an analogy comparing biological processes to a computational system, DNA specifies the hardware, and electrical transmission among cells is akin to the software. Electrical impulses are not only occurring in the brain; they are transmitted among cells throughout the body. DNA determines the expression of electrically-active proteins in cells, but an individual organism's electrical dynamics are unique and based on external factors as well as internal ones. In nature, living cells are programmed to perform computations and make decisions about patterning, healing, and regeneration of the body. If we can tap into those regulatory algorithms using mathematical models, we may find ways in the future to re-program cancer cells, and induce regenerative repair - as we are already doing in some animal model systems. We see our research as an important step toward a better understanding of these processes, hopefully enabling other scientists to expand on our findings toward biomedical applications."