Why writing a mathematical model?
The purposes of writing mathematical models for gene networks can be: • Prediction: a good and well identificated model can be used in simulations to predict real system behavior. In particular we could be interested in system output in response to never seen inputs. In this way, the system can be tested ‘in silico’, without performing real experiments ‘in vitro’ or ‘in vivo’. • Parameter identification: we already wrote that it is very important to estimate all the parameters involved in the model, in order to perform realistic simulations. Another goal that can be reached with parameter identification is ‘network summarization’, in fact estimated parameters can be used as ‘behavior indexes’ for the network (or a part of it). These indexes can be very useful for synthetic biologists to choose and compare BioBrick standard parts for genetic circuits design, just like electronic engineers choose, for example, a Zener diode, knowing its Zener voltage.
