|Date: 10-15-93 9:40am
|From: James Anderson:nigmsw:nih
| To: {btk-mca at net.bio.net}:internet
|Subj: Interested bystander
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I'm an administrator with the National Institute for General Medical
Sciences. Although my scientific background is mainly genetics
and physiology of bacteria, I have been casually following some of the
developments in mathematical modeling of metabolism. I realize that
this newsgroup is primarily for technical exchanges, but I am
interested in finding out more about the general state of what I
suppose could be called systems approaches to life processes. NIGMS,
for those of you not familiar with the alphabet soup of the NIH,
supports basic biomedical research; part of my job is to monitor
emerging areas of interest to the NIH and ask, if appropriate, what we
might do to help things along.
This is my question to group members: what are the rate limiting
factors in the development of mathematical approaches to biological
problems such as pattern formation and metabolic control? Methods
development? Key collaborations? Agreement on model systems?
Instrumentation development? Interested people? "Money" is not
an acceptable answer unless attached to a specific use for it! If you
have some opinions as to why the NIH should feel some urgency about
helping out, and what form this help might take, feel free to comment.
Jim Anderson
