Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2010 Jun-Jul;102(2-3):85-121. doi: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2010.01.005. Epub 2010 Feb 8.
This work is an attempt for a state-of-the-art survey of natural and life sciences with the goal to define the scope and address the central questions of an original research program. It is focused on the phenomena of emergence, adaptive dynamics and evolution of self-assembling, self-organizing, self-maintaining and self-replicating biosynthetic systems viewed from a newly-arranged perspective and understanding of computation and communication in the living nature. The author regards this research as an integral part of the emerging discipline of nature-inspired or natural computation, i.e. computation inspired by or occurring in nature. Within this context, he is interested in studies which represent a significant departure from traditional theories about complex systems and self-organization, emergent phenomena and artificial biology. In particular, these include non-conventional approaches exploring the aggregation, composition, growth and development of physical forms and structures, autopoiesis along with the associated abstract information structures and processes. This paper provides a critical review of the major assumptions which guide the development of modern computer science and engineering towards emulating biological systems. For this purpose, the author explores the potential and the virtues of biology to reshape contemporary science. The goal of this survey is to discuss the present state of natural and engineering sciences in the light of a necessary paradigm change in the structure and methodology of research and deliver some insights for developing a new kind of integral science based on the principles for dynamic interdependence of the constituting disciplines and on the evolving relationships among them.
这项工作是对自然科学和生命科学的最新调查尝试，旨在定义一个原创研究计划的范围并解决其中的核心问题。它专注于从新的视角和对生命自然中的计算和通信的理解来看待自组装、自组织、自我维持和自我复制的生物合成系统的涌现、适应动力学和进化现象。作者将这项研究视为新兴的受自然启发或自然计算学科的一个组成部分，即受自然启发或发生在自然中的计算。在这种情况下，他对代表着对复杂系统和自组织、涌现现象和人工生物学的传统理论的重大背离的研究感兴趣。特别是，这些研究包括探索物理形式和结构的聚集、组成、生长和发展的非常规方法，以及与之相关的抽象信息结构和过程。本文对指导现代计算机科学和工程朝着模拟生物系统的方向发展的主要假设进行了批判性回顾。为此，作者探讨了生物学重塑当代科学的潜力和优势。本次调查的目的是根据研究的结构和方法的必要范式转变，讨论自然科学和工程科学的现状，并为基于构成学科的动态相互依存原则和它们之间不断发展的关系来发展一种新的整体科学提供一些见解。
