Bridging the gap between mechanistic biological models and machine learning surrogates

Mechanistic models have been used for centuries to describe complex interconnected processes, including biological ones. As the scope of these models has widened, so have their computational demands. This complexity can limit their suitability when running many simulations or when real-time results...

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Main Authors: Ioana M. Gherman, Zahraa S. Abdallah, Wei Pang, Thomas E. Gorochowski, Claire S. Grierson, Lucia Marucci
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2023-04-01
Series:PLoS Computational Biology
Online Access:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10118077/?tool=EBI
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author Ioana M. Gherman
Zahraa S. Abdallah
Wei Pang
Thomas E. Gorochowski
Claire S. Grierson
Lucia Marucci
author_facet Ioana M. Gherman
Zahraa S. Abdallah
Wei Pang
Thomas E. Gorochowski
Claire S. Grierson
Lucia Marucci
author_sort Ioana M. Gherman
collection DOAJ
description Mechanistic models have been used for centuries to describe complex interconnected processes, including biological ones. As the scope of these models has widened, so have their computational demands. This complexity can limit their suitability when running many simulations or when real-time results are required. Surrogate machine learning (ML) models can be used to approximate the behaviour of complex mechanistic models, and once built, their computational demands are several orders of magnitude lower. This paper provides an overview of the relevant literature, both from an applicability and a theoretical perspective. For the latter, the paper focuses on the design and training of the underlying ML models. Application-wise, we show how ML surrogates have been used to approximate different mechanistic models. We present a perspective on how these approaches can be applied to models representing biological processes with potential industrial applications (e.g., metabolism and whole-cell modelling) and show why surrogate ML models may hold the key to making the simulation of complex biological systems possible using a typical desktop computer.
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spelling doaj.art-eeee1c515cb046bfa0ba2d04147b55902023-04-25T05:31:27ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Computational Biology1553-734X1553-73582023-04-01194Bridging the gap between mechanistic biological models and machine learning surrogatesIoana M. GhermanZahraa S. AbdallahWei PangThomas E. GorochowskiClaire S. GriersonLucia MarucciMechanistic models have been used for centuries to describe complex interconnected processes, including biological ones. As the scope of these models has widened, so have their computational demands. This complexity can limit their suitability when running many simulations or when real-time results are required. Surrogate machine learning (ML) models can be used to approximate the behaviour of complex mechanistic models, and once built, their computational demands are several orders of magnitude lower. This paper provides an overview of the relevant literature, both from an applicability and a theoretical perspective. For the latter, the paper focuses on the design and training of the underlying ML models. Application-wise, we show how ML surrogates have been used to approximate different mechanistic models. We present a perspective on how these approaches can be applied to models representing biological processes with potential industrial applications (e.g., metabolism and whole-cell modelling) and show why surrogate ML models may hold the key to making the simulation of complex biological systems possible using a typical desktop computer.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10118077/?tool=EBI
spellingShingle Ioana M. Gherman
Zahraa S. Abdallah
Wei Pang
Thomas E. Gorochowski
Claire S. Grierson
Lucia Marucci
Bridging the gap between mechanistic biological models and machine learning surrogates
PLoS Computational Biology
title Bridging the gap between mechanistic biological models and machine learning surrogates
title_full Bridging the gap between mechanistic biological models and machine learning surrogates
title_fullStr Bridging the gap between mechanistic biological models and machine learning surrogates
title_full_unstemmed Bridging the gap between mechanistic biological models and machine learning surrogates
title_short Bridging the gap between mechanistic biological models and machine learning surrogates
title_sort bridging the gap between mechanistic biological models and machine learning surrogates
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10118077/?tool=EBI
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