Systematic: How Systems Biology Is Transforming Modern Medicine

Amazing phenomena occur when cells work together, writes Valcourt in this accessible introduction to systems biology, a field with a distinguished history that took off at the beginning of the 21st century. Combining engineering, mathematics, and advances in computing technology, scientists are learning how the innumerable elements in a complex organism work in concert. Valcourt offers as an example the seemingly miraculous workings of the human brain. A single brain cell simply fires an electric pulse, but 86 billion connected brain cells enable a person to think, feel, imagine, and wonder. Systems biologists are studying that kind of leap from simple action to complex behavior. Valcourt visits laboratories where researchers are examining the mechanism of aging, the specific genetic errors that make a cell malignant, why useful drugs produce nasty side-effects, and why the immune system overreacts (provoking allergies) or underreacts (ignoring cancers). Understanding these processes will transform human lives, but despite the book’s title, at present the field’s triumphs are largely confined to the laboratory; as Valcourt admits, many ongoing attempts to unlock these secrets will fizzle. Still, systems biologists seem on the verge of achieving great things, and Valcourt delivers a lucid introduction to this ingenious combination of the hard sciences and advanced technology that adopts a holistic view of natural phenomena. (Feb.)