Pioneering Systems Biology Textbook Gets an Upgrade

By Jerry Grillo

Systems biology is the study of how biological entities like molecules, cells, and organs interact and behave. It’s a holistic approach to research that addresses biological complexity using experimental and computational methods. 

And now, two authors connected with Georgia Tech have covered the subject for a new generation of researchers with the release of a groundbreaking textbook.

The third edition of A First Course in Systems Biology, by Eberhard Voit and Melissa Kemp and published by CRC Press, aims to provide students with an accessible entry point into this evolving, increasingly important field. 

"We've designed this textbook to be an accessible and flexible entry point into systems biology without compromising the rigor of the subject matter," said Kemp, the Carol Ann and David D. Flanagan Endowed Chair in Biomedical Engineering in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory.

Systems biology, with its emphasis on understanding the complex interactions within biological systems, has become crucial in fields like medicine and drug development, and the new edition of the textbook highlights these real-world applications.

"The drug development process can take 10-20 years and cost $2 billion,” said Voit, Regents Professor Emeritus with Coulter BME — he retired from the department last year and is based now at the University of Texas-Dallas. “Using systems biology models can help weed out unsuccessful drug candidates early on, saving time and money.”

One such application is the use of "virtual clinical trials," where computer models of thousands of virtual patients can be used to test drug candidates, rather than relying solely on traditional, and costly, real-world trials.

Voit, who wrote the first two editions, always intended that the book be an introduction to systems biology for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. He and Kemp have also tried to make the textbook as user-friendly as possible for instructors.

“We provide course materials in multiple programming languages,” Voit said. “So instructors have flexibility in how they want to implement the content.”

With around 4,000 copies sold for the first two editions, the textbook has found a solid audience among students and instructors. The new edition aims to build on this success by reflecting the rapid evolution of systems biology research.

"It's an exciting time for the field,” Kemp said.