title: Hierarchical thinking in network biology: the unbiased modularization of biochemical networks.
abstract: As reconstructed biochemical reaction networks continue to grow in size and scope, there is a growing need to describe the functional modules within them. Such modules facilitate the study of biological processes by deconstructing complex biological networks into conceptually simple entities. The definition of network modules is often based on intuitive reasoning. As an alternative, methods are being developed for defining biochemical network modules in an unbiased fashion. These unbiased network modules are mathematically derived from the structure of the whole network under consideration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0412, USA.
authors.forename: Jason A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Papin
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Bernhard O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Palsson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001671:Biochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D019295:Computational Biology; D006801:Humans; D008660:Metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D011506:Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins