Bioinformatic and Systems Biology Tools to Generate Testable Models of Signaling Pathways and Their Targets

Over the last years a number of bioinformatic software programs have been developed in the area of molecular biology. The application of these bioinformatic tools to the wealth of existing transcriptomic and proteomic data can be used to predict the structure and hierarchy of signalling pathways and gene networks. In genetically tractable model organisms such as Arabidopsis thaliana, these hyphotheses can be validated experimentally and modified in reiterative cycles, giving hypothesis-driven research high feasibility. These predictive systems biology approaches significantly reduce the scale, time and manpower usually required in classical approaches. Here, we provide an overview on the use of currently available tools in deciphering signalling pathways in Arabidopsis researc