Final Report Summary - SYSTEM_US (Systems Biology of Human Metabolism)
The SYSTEM-Us project was initiated in order to increase understanding of human metabolism through the use of systems biology research methods. Historically, the field of human metabolic systems biology was in its infancy at the start of SYSTEM-Us. The project has contributed to the “coming of age” of human metabolic systems biology as a research field and made important advances to basic understanding of human metabolism. These have paved the way for the applied use of metabolic systems biology approaches to address clinically relevant health care problems. The program has taken part in funding international workshops and conferences, and contributed to the establishment of a cross-disciplinary research center at the University of Iceland.
The project has resulted in one of the most detailed knowledgebases of human metabolism, RECON 2, which has been used as a template by us, and research groups around the globe, as a starting point for systems analysis of human metabolism.Significant contributions have been made demonstrating how systems analysis can be applied to complement traditional metabolic research of human cells and to functional genomic efforts. The research has cast light on the experiments and data analysis currently possible and those required to advance understanding of human metabolism in the next decade.
Applying expertise gathered within SYSTEM-Us, the metabolic changes that give rise to blood component storage lesions were defined. Storage lesions of red cells and platelets are a significant problem in the delivery of health care. Healthy cells are critical to the implementation of successful transfusion medicine. This program has generated a solid understanding of metabolic decay of stored blood cells that will prove usefull in producing novel blood component storage solutions capable of maintaining blood component qualitity over longer periods of time thereby benefiting health care on both the patient and organizational level.
The SYSTEM_Us lead to the establishment of the cross-disciplinary Center for Systems Biology at the University of Iceland. Three new faculty position were established. The Center has led to cross and interdisciplinary research activity at the University that have resulted in over 60 research articles and the funding about 10 additional research grants focusing broadly on the development and deployment of systems biology. Postdoctoral and PhD training opportunities were established. Non of these achievements would be have been possible without the SYSTEM_Us
The project has resulted in one of the most detailed knowledgebases of human metabolism, RECON 2, which has been used as a template by us, and research groups around the globe, as a starting point for systems analysis of human metabolism.Significant contributions have been made demonstrating how systems analysis can be applied to complement traditional metabolic research of human cells and to functional genomic efforts. The research has cast light on the experiments and data analysis currently possible and those required to advance understanding of human metabolism in the next decade.
Applying expertise gathered within SYSTEM-Us, the metabolic changes that give rise to blood component storage lesions were defined. Storage lesions of red cells and platelets are a significant problem in the delivery of health care. Healthy cells are critical to the implementation of successful transfusion medicine. This program has generated a solid understanding of metabolic decay of stored blood cells that will prove usefull in producing novel blood component storage solutions capable of maintaining blood component qualitity over longer periods of time thereby benefiting health care on both the patient and organizational level.
The SYSTEM_Us lead to the establishment of the cross-disciplinary Center for Systems Biology at the University of Iceland. Three new faculty position were established. The Center has led to cross and interdisciplinary research activity at the University that have resulted in over 60 research articles and the funding about 10 additional research grants focusing broadly on the development and deployment of systems biology. Postdoctoral and PhD training opportunities were established. Non of these achievements would be have been possible without the SYSTEM_Us