In 2022, the ELIXIR Systems Biology community was established within the broader ELIXIR infrastructure to represent and advocate for systems biology within European scientific infrastructures. While ELIXIR focuses on improving the infrastructure for "data for life," the Systems Biology Community is dedicated to "models for life." Over the past couple of years, community-led activities have begun to yield tangible results.
One such results is the publication of a revised whitepaper in June 2024, which outlines the major short- and long-term infrastructural challenges in systems biology. These challenges include identifying and overcoming barriers to the broader adoption of systems biology, making data more model-friendly, ensuring the interoperability of systems biology resources, and enhancing education and training.
The first Systems Biology implementation study has initiated efforts to address some of these challenges. This includes preparing a whitepaper on FAIR PBPK modeling, the integration of two existing systems biology ontologies (EDAM and SBO), annotating (a set of ) systems biology tools in the bio.tools repository, and planning a comprehensive analysis of the interoperability of these tools to be conducted later in 2024.
A second implementation study is currently being prepared, focusing on how AI can enhance various aspects of systems biology. Despite these positive steps over the past two years, many challenges remain. The success of these endeavors will be greatly enhanced by a larger and more engaged community. We invite you to join us in our efforts: https://elixir-europe.org/communities/systems-biology.