Drosophila Protein Interaction Map
This is a protein interaction map of Drosophila (fruit fly) that visualises the interaction and lines of communication between all proteins enabling each to accomplish their function. Determining the nature of these relationships is fundamental to the understanding of protein modes of action and cellular behaviour.
This map was developed as a starting point for studying dynamics of protein complexes in development and evolution.
Beautiful work, demonstrating the complex relationships that underly biology when we view it through a wide-angle lens. Much of the past half century of biology has been about describing all of the individual parts that make up our cells. But that doesn’t tell you how a cell or a body works any more than touring an auto parts store can tell you about how a car works.
As we enter the era of systems and networked biology, it is the relationships between components that become important. Combinations of computational and laboratory science will be required to uncover the secrets that remain.
To give you an idea how difficult this is, the network you’re looking at is comprised of relationships between just a few thousand fly proteins, and not even all the proteins that a fly makes. Our genome encodes around 20,000 proteins, and 95% of those are produced as more than one variant. Our protein network is probably ten times this complicated!
Previously: Check out this beautiful cancer gene network animation. Tomorrow’s biology is really pretty stuff.
