SYSTEMS & INTEGRATED BIOLOGY 

What is systems and integrated biology? 

•     Systems & integrated pharmacology/physiology and toxicology and other biological disciplines are the study of intact organs and organisms, as opposed to cells.  The aim is to define the effect of disease or therapy on the overall function of an integrated system, such as the human body - the ultimate goal of medical research. Increased support for research and training on whole systems is crucial to continued progress in the fight against disease and suffering. Expertise in whole systems is crucial for understanding the physiological and behavioral consequences of genetic manipulations and drug therapies. 

What is the problem? 

•       During the past two decades there has been an emphasis on supporting needed research and training at the cellular and molecular levels. But research and training in systems and integrated biology has been marginalized.  This research and training deficit compromises 1) discovery of new approaches that arise from cellular and molecular studies as well as, 2) discovery of new approaches from investigations initiated on whole animals without any prior cellular or molecular examination.  The erosion of support for research and training in integrated systems is slowing the rate at which new treatments and preventions are developed into useful therapies.

•       The growing disparity in funding for cellular and organ systems biologists has led to a reduction in the number of faculty having systems and integrated expertise, compromising further the ability to provide instruction in this field. With increased demand for novel, safe and effective therapies, including those involving genetic manipulations, the need for systems-trained scientists has increased dramatically.  A lack of trained scientists in whole systems compromises thorough examination of new therapeutic approaches before they enter clinical trials.

How can this situation be fixed? 

•       The lack of research and training in systems and integrated biology needs to be addressed by the scientific community, funding agencies, and the U.S. Congress. There needs to be an increased emphasis on research and training in the area of systems and integrated biology. This will facilitate the design and development of animal models for research on how the action of drugs and toxicants at the molecular level impacts health and disease states of the entire organism.  
  

•       There needs to be an increase in training grants and individual pre‑ and post-doctoral fellowships to maintain the pipeline of well-trained systems and integrated scientists. 
  

•       NIH should commission panels with an appropriate representation of experts competent to provide peer evaluation at the level of the whole animal.  Scientists with expertise in integrated systems are currently not adequately represented on NIH peer-review panels.
  

•       Have industry establish, on a competitive basis, funds to support academic laboratories engaged in systems and pharmacology research and training.

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The decline in research support and training in systems and integrated biology has for years been of concern to a number of organizations. Recommendations of The Integrated Medical Sciences Initiative (IMSI), endorsed by hundreds of biomedical scientists, including several Nobel Laureates, and numerous scientific societies, were included in the report of the House Committee on Appropriations in 1996, and accepted by the Conference Committee.   A recommendation to increase support for research and training in systems and integrated biology was accepted in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Annual Consensus Conference Report on Federal Funding for Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research for FY 2002.