An Ansatz for a Theory of Living Systems

Mathematical and computational modelling is now firmly established as an important tool in life sciences. However, it is not yet established as a source of biological knowledge on an equal footing with experimentation. Here we argue that there are now substantial opportunities for a new theoretical biology that not only benefits from experimental research but also influences this research. We argue that such a new theoretical biology would need to find the appropriate level of abstraction and combine aspects of Artificial Life and theoretical biophysics. We also provide an outline of a research agenda that could lead to experimentally testable insights into biological systems.