title: Agent-based models of cellular systems.
abstract: Software agents are particularly suitable for engineering models and simulations of cellular systems. In a very natural and intuitive manner, individual software components are therein delegated to reproduce "in silico" the behavior of individual components of alive systems at a given level of resolution. Individuals' actions and interactions among individuals allow complex collective behavior to emerge. In this chapter we first introduce the readers to software agents and multi-agent systems, reviewing the evolution of agent-based modeling of biomolecular systems in the last decade. We then describe the main tools, platforms, and methodologies available for programming societies of agents, possibly profiting also of toolkits that do not require advanced programming skills.
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Technology, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy. nicola.cannata@unicam.it
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cannata
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Corradini
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Merelli
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tesei
mesh_terms: D002477:Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D008954:Models, Biological; D012984:Software