Research Group on Natural Computing

In this paper we propose an extension of a systems/synthetic biology modelling
framework based on P systems that explicitly includes modularity. Modularisation in
cellular systems can be produced by chemical specificity, spatial localisation and/or temporal
modulation within cellular compartments. The first two of these modularisation
features, the focus of this paper, can be easily specified and analysed in P systems using
sets of rewriting rules to describe chemical specificity and membranes to represent spatial
localisation. Our methodology enables the assembly of cell systems biology models by
combining modules which represent functional subsystems. A case study consisting of a
bacterial colony system is presented to illustrate our approach.