Understanding Genetic Regulatory Networks

Random Boolean Networks were introduced a number of years ago as first crude models of the itegrated structure and dynamics of genetic regulatory networks. I will discuss a number of the features of such networks, some of which also generalize to networks of continuous functions. Importantly, this includes the existence of an ordered regime and a chaotic regime, with a phase transition between them. A number of behaviors of networks in the ordered regime suggest that real cells are also in a similar ordred regime. Data will be discussed that suggests genes use a biased sampling of Boolean functions which assures the ordred regime in more realistic biological network models.