Call For Papers

Focussed Issue of Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology (IF = 4.0)

Experimental and Computational Model Interactions in Bio-Research: State of the Art

Guest editors:

Peter Kohl (Oxford / Imperial College London, UK), Peter Hunter (University of Auckland, NZ), and Raimond L Winslow (Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, USA)

Time lines:

1 Dec 2010: expression of interest via 1-page outline of proposed content

15 Dec 2011: invitation of selected contributions for peer-review

1 March 2011: submission of full manuscripts

15 April 2011: peer-review based decision and feedback for authors

15 May 2011: revised manuscripts due for final editorial decision

Oct 2011: publication target

Brief outline:

By definition, models are simplified representations of reality. This is the case, regardless of the nature of the model (i.e. conceptual, experimental, computational, etc.). The inherent ‘simplification’ highlights the requirement of having multiple models of the same reality, for example at different levels of structural complexity. From follows a need to interrelate different models. The interface for this process is not well designed in general, and forms the focus of the PBMB issue on experimental and computational model interactions in bio-research. Papers are welcome from all spheres of model development and application, as long as they address questions of interoperability and interfaces between models. This can be models of the same modality but at different levels of structural or functional integration (e.g. transfer of information between computational or experimental models at different levels, from molecule to man), models of the same modality and level (e.g. links / interrelations / mapping of different cell electrophysiology models), or the handshake between models of different modalities (i.e. same-level information transfer between experiment and simulation). Overall, the volume is targeted to contain about 20 papers, each with a page allowance of ~12 journal pages. Contributions, invited for peer review (acceptance not guaranteed), will be selected from submitted abstracts with the view of representing as broad as possible a cross-section of related efforts.

Expressions of interest: submit your 1-page outline no later than 1 December 2010 to PBMB2011@dpag.ox.ac.uk