A software framework for multiscale and multilevel physiological model integration and simulation

Abstract

Emergence of systems biology motivated more comprehensive and integrative approaches for modeling physiological processes. In this paper, the design of a software framework for facilitating the integration of multilevel and multiscale physiological processes is presented. To build such an integrative environment, a layered design is proposed, where the structural and functional information is separated from the information flow and integration mechanism. Interfacing mechanisms are proposed to handle the integration of multilevel and multiscale processes. Integration of the processes and the information flow among the processes is modularized to use the anatomical and physiological information. The aim of the proposed design is to enhance the model development processes; but more importantly to accelerate the development, analysis and testing of integration approaches for multiscale and multilevel physiological models.