Virtual Biology Laboratories Project

Project Overview

• Virtual Cell Laboratory: VCL aims at detailed simulation of intra-cellular genetic interactions and metabolism cascade. In 1994, VCL was started as a joint project between Sony Computer Science Laboratories and Keio University, Medical School. Our initial target is identification of mechanisms of cellular ageing. Although the VCL project on ageing continues, VCL project is now being augment to involve Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Medical Research Institute. The project is now extended to target genetic casecade of certain type of human cells, and Yeast. For Yeast, we are aiming at complete simulation of entire yeast genetic cascade.
• Virtual Drosophila Project: Virtual Drosophila Project (or Virtual Fly Project) aims at complete simulation of drosophila developmental process. Currently, the project is focusing on simulation of body-axis formation, segment formation, eye formation, wing / leg formation.
• Perfect C. elegans Project: Similar to Virtual Drosophila Project, The Perfect C. elegans project aims at detailed simulation of embryogenesis of C. elegans.

Publications

Full Length Conference Proceedings

• Virtual Biology Laboratories, Proc. of European Conference on Artificial Life, Brighton, MIT Press, 1997.
• Toward the Simulation of the Embryogenesis of Caenorhadbitis elegans:\\ Perspectives and Visualization, Bio-Computing and Emergent Computing, World Scientific, 1997.

Poster Presentations

• THE VIRTUAL CELL LABORATORY PREDICTS THE MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF CELLULAR SENESCENCE --- A COMPUTER-AIDED APPROACH TO BIOLOGY OF AGING, Annual Meeting of American Society for Cell Biology, 1996.

Invited Talks

• Toward Computer-Aided Biology, Genome Informatics Workshop, Dec., 1996.

Reserchers and Students Position