RESUMO
As many real-world applications, microarray measurements are inapplicable for large-scale teaching purposes due to their laborious preparation process and expense. Fortunately, many phases of the array preparation process can be efficiently demonstrated by using a software simulator tool. Here we propose the use of microarray simulator as an aiding tool in teaching of computational biology. Three case studies on educational use of the simulator are presented, which demonstrate the effect of gene knock-out, synthetic time series, and effect of noise sources. We conclude that the simulator, used for teaching the principles of microarray measurement technology, proved to be a useful tool in education.
Assuntos
Biotecnologia/educação , Instrução por Computador/métodos , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica/métodos , Modelos Genéticos , Análise de Sequência com Séries de Oligonucleotídeos/métodos , Software , Interface Usuário-Computador , Biotecnologia/métodos , Simulação por Computador , FinlândiaRESUMO
Several stochastic simulation tools have been developed recently for cell signaling. A comparative evaluation of the stochastic simulation tools is needed to highlight the current state of the development. In our study, we have chosen to evaluate three stochastic simulation tools: Dizzy, Systems Biology Toolbox, and Copasi, using our own MATLAB implementation as a benchmark. The Gillespie stochastic simulation algorithm is used in all tests. With all the tools, we are able to simulate stochastically the behavior of the selected test case and to produce similar results as our own MATLAB implementation. However, it is not possible to use time-dependent inputs in stochastic simulations in Systems Biology Toolbox and Copasi. The present study is one of the first evaluations of stochastic simulation tools for realistic signal transduction pathways.