Artificial Gene Regulatory Networks—A Review

In nature, gene regulatory networks are a key mediator between the information stored in the DNA of living organisms (their genotype) and the structural and behavioural expression this finds in their bodies, brains and morphology (their phenotype). They integrate environmental signals, steer development, buffer noise, and allow evolution to proceed. In engineering, modelling approaches to gene regulatory networks have been used as a computational tool for a variety of tasks, ranging from control of robots to the design of morphologies. This review examines computational implementations of artificial gene regulatory networks, the modelling techniques used, and the evidence for the benefits of this concept in both natural and engineered systems.

Artificial Life, 24(4), 296-328