Researchers have developed the first computational model of a human cell and simulated its behaviour for 15 minutes.
This is the longest time achieved for a biological system of this complexity.
In a new study, simulations reveal the effects of spatial organisation within cells on some of the genetic processes that control the regulation and development of human traits and some human diseases.
The study, which produced a new computational platform that is available to any researcher, is published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology. Zhaleh Ghaemi, study lead author, said: “This is the first programme that allows researchers to set up a virtual human cell and change chemical reactions and geometries to observe cellular processes in real time.”
To test the platform the team performed simulations of RNA splicing – one of the most complex cellular processes.
