Developing a Renal Transport Model using Epithelial Modelling Platform

Biologists and clinicians conduct experiments in laboratory settings that are typically expensive and resource intensive. To mitigate these constraints, they often utilise mathematics‐ and physics‐based FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) computational models to facilitate scientific discoveries and exploration. The Physiome Project from the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) and the Virtual Physiological Human (VPH) initiative have been building novel computational models and modelling tools that have applications in clinical settings. Here, we present a web‐based platform contributing to these efforts – the Epithelial Modelling Platform (EMP) – which will enable users to discover disparate renal models with a view to constructing a novel renal epithelial model. The EMP utilises community standards and tools accredited by the Computational Modelling in Biology Network (COMBINE) and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The EMP has six key features: (1) The discovery of relevant models utilizing biological knowledge associated with the models and deposited in the Physiome Model Repository (PMR). (2) The graphical comparison between a set of selected models to aid the user in evaluating suitable models. (3) A visual representation of an epithelial cell environment where users are able to assemble and rearrange their model across the apical and basolateral membranes of the epithelial cell. (4) A recommendation feature suggests other relevant models from the PMR in response to certain user actions. (5) Model assembly constructs the epithelial model based on the visualised models on the modelling environment. (6) A verification feature allows users to make a comparison between the newly constructed epithelial model and similar models from the PMR. As the range of models in PMR enriched with biological knowledge increases in both depth (more detailed granular biological semantics) and diversity (organ systems, spatial scales), we envision the EMP similarly expanding in scope. The community standards upon which the EMP relies are not specific to the modelling of epithelial transport, but effort to generalise the platform beyond the polarised cells of renal epithelia will be required.