Network biology connects the dots for human health
Networks form the backbone of transportation infrastructure, communication systems, and even the neurons in our brains. When computational scientists map data points into networks—quite literally connecting the dots—the patterns they reveal can provide significant insights.
In network biology, computational and biological scientists collaborate to find the patterns in abundant and complex molecular and biomedical data. They use graph algorithms, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to model biological mechanisms, including those underlying cancer and aging.
“Similar to a car manual, networks show you the relationship between the parts,” said Tijana Milenkovic, network biology expert and Frank M. Freimann Collegiate Professor of Engineering in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Notre Dame.
“You see how each part of a biological system—gene, protein, neuron—contributes to the system’s overall performance and what happens if a part fails or is removed.”
In a paper published in Bioinformatics Advances, Milenkovic and 36 other researchers from over 25 universities and labs chart a comprehensive roadmap for network biology’s current state and future directions.
Networks allow researchers to represent biological systems as interconnected entities rather than collections of individual components. Biomolecules, such as DNA, amino acids, or proteins, are represented as points on a network while the links between the points indicate their interactions—physical, functional, or chemical.
Network biology promises to move medicine beyond its current one-size-fits-all approach. Instead of giving the same treatment to all patients with the same disease, treatments could be tailored to each individual’s unique molecular profile.
Also, networks show how a drug interacts with multiple biological targets, thereby revealing the ways in which a drug previously used to treat one condition might have the potential to treat another.
The paper, which originated from an NSF-funded workshop at Notre Dame, identifies five prominent research subfields within network biology: inference and comparison of biological networks, multimodal data integration and heterogeneous networks, higher-order network analysis, machine learning on networks, and network-based personalized medicine.
Milenkovic noted that, despite numerous advances, challenges remain in the field, such as enhanced data generation, developing novel algorithms, refining evaluation frameworks, and a wider adoption of innovations.
“The goal is not just to predict likely interactions between biomolecules or identify interesting patterns in complex data,” said Milenkovic. “We want to help explain the underlying biological mechanisms that yield these patterns.”
Latest Research
- Notre Dame to host conference on St. Thomas Aquinas, commemorating 800th anniversary of his birthTo commemorate the 800th anniversary of his birth, the University of Notre Dame will host a conference Sunday through Wednesday (Sept. 22-25) celebrating Aquinas’ enduring importance to contemporary cultural, philosophical and theological discussions. “Aquinas at 800: ‘Ad multos annos’” will be the largest conference of its kind, with more than 500 in-person attendees and more than 150 speakers.
- From Italy to South Sudan and back again: MGA graduate aims for peace through shuttle diplomacySince she first began working for the Rome-based Community of Sant’Egidio as an intern in 2021, Elizabeth Boyle MGA ’23 has boarded more flights to Juba, South Sudan than she has to her Long Island hometown in the United States. As an international relations officer for …
- Librarian Eric Morgan leverages technology to accelerate library researchLibrarian Eric Morgan utilizes technology to aid researchers in their work.
- Mendoza introduces master’s degree in digital marketingThe Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame is introducing a new specialized master’s program to address the rising demand for digital marketing professionals, a field expected to be one of the fastest-growing over the next decade. The Master of Science in Digital Marketing…
- Global Network Research Development Grants open for proposal submissionNotre Dame Global’s regional faculty advisory committees advise on imagining innovative opportunities regarding research and partnerships in their respective regions.…
- Notre Dame celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with slate of eventsIn honor of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), the University of Notre Dame will be highlighting the significant contributions that Latino and Hispanic students, faculty and staff have made to the University since its earliest days through two key initiatives: the launch of Somos ND and the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Institute for Latino Studies.