Debunking the idea of biological optimisation: quantitative biology to the rescue
The idea that plants would be efficient, frugal or optimised echoes the recurrent semantics of ‘blueprint’ and ‘program’ in molecular genetics. However, when analysing plants with quantitative approaches and systems thinking, we instead find that plants are the results of stochastic processes with m...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Quantitative Plant Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2632882824000031/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797226724761534464 |
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| author | Olivier Hamant |
| author_facet | Olivier Hamant |
| author_sort | Olivier Hamant |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The idea that plants would be efficient, frugal or optimised echoes the recurrent semantics of ‘blueprint’ and ‘program’ in molecular genetics. However, when analysing plants with quantitative approaches and systems thinking, we instead find that plants are the results of stochastic processes with many inefficiencies, incoherence or delays fuelling their robustness. If one had to highlight the main value of quantitative biology, this could be it: plants are robust systems because they are not efficient. Such systemic insights extend to the way we conduct plant research and opens plant science publication to a much broader framework. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:29:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-df77cd391edf4531b847650d341a37b6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2632-8828 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:29:28Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Quantitative Plant Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-df77cd391edf4531b847650d341a37b62024-04-03T04:14:29ZengCambridge University PressQuantitative Plant Biology2632-88282024-01-01510.1017/qpb.2024.3Debunking the idea of biological optimisation: quantitative biology to the rescueOlivier Hamant0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6906-6620Laboratoire de Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, UCBL, INRAE, CNRS, INRIA 46 Allée d’Italie, Lyon, FranceThe idea that plants would be efficient, frugal or optimised echoes the recurrent semantics of ‘blueprint’ and ‘program’ in molecular genetics. However, when analysing plants with quantitative approaches and systems thinking, we instead find that plants are the results of stochastic processes with many inefficiencies, incoherence or delays fuelling their robustness. If one had to highlight the main value of quantitative biology, this could be it: plants are robust systems because they are not efficient. Such systemic insights extend to the way we conduct plant research and opens plant science publication to a much broader framework.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2632882824000031/type/journal_articleoptimisationplant sciencequantitative biologyrobustnesssystems biology |
| spellingShingle | Olivier Hamant Debunking the idea of biological optimisation: quantitative biology to the rescue Quantitative Plant Biology optimisation plant science quantitative biology robustness systems biology |
| title | Debunking the idea of biological optimisation: quantitative biology to the rescue |
| title_full | Debunking the idea of biological optimisation: quantitative biology to the rescue |
| title_fullStr | Debunking the idea of biological optimisation: quantitative biology to the rescue |
| title_full_unstemmed | Debunking the idea of biological optimisation: quantitative biology to the rescue |
| title_short | Debunking the idea of biological optimisation: quantitative biology to the rescue |
| title_sort | debunking the idea of biological optimisation quantitative biology to the rescue |
| topic | optimisation plant science quantitative biology robustness systems biology |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2632882824000031/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT olivierhamant debunkingtheideaofbiologicaloptimisationquantitativebiologytotherescue |