title: Model aggregation: a building-block approach to creating large macromolecular regulatory networks.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Models of regulatory networks become more difficult to construct and understand as they grow in size and complexity. Modelers naturally build large models from smaller components that each represent subsets of reactions within the larger network. To assist modelers in this process, we present model aggregation, which defines models in terms of components that are designed for the purpose of being combined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We have implemented a model editor that incorporates model aggregation, and we suggest supporting extensions to the Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) Level 3. We illustrate aggregation with a model of the eukaryotic cell cycle 'engine' created from smaller pieces.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Java implementations are available in the JigCell Aggregation Connector. See http://jigcell.biol.vt.edu.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  shaffer@vt.edu
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
authors.forename: Ranjit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Randhawa
authors.forename: Clifford A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Shaffer
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tyson
mesh_terms: D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D008954:Models, Biological; D012984:Software; D049490:Systems Biology / Q000379:methods*