Intended Audience

    This tutorial provides an introduction to computational methods for functional module identification in biological networks, covering basic concepts, mathematical models, and optimization algorithms centering around specific challenges arising from large-scale biological networks. It may help students, postdocs, and researchers at all stages of their career in the broad bioinformatics and computational biology community better understand the involved biological as well as computational problems, develop more effective methods for functional module identification, and identify their applications in biomedical research problems.

Abstract

    Cellular functions or dysfunctions arise from complex interactions among biological units at different levels in cells. Advances in high-throughput profiling techniques have enabled researchers to analyze large-scale interaction data to yield a better understanding of biological systems. Functional module identification may provide such an avenue to identify molecules working in coordination as functional modules and help reveal cellular functional organization. This tutorial provides introductory overview of basic concepts, mathematical definitions, and state-of-the-art computational algorithms for functional module identification, focusing on specific challenges in biological network analysis. It is intended for researchers with interest and expertise on biological network analysis to identify both biological and computational challenges, potential solution strategies, as well as biomedical applications for future research.