Biological Networks

In this review, we give an introduction to the structural and functional properties of the biological networks. We focus on three major themes: topology of complex biological networks like the metabolic and protein-protein interaction networks, nonlinear dynamics in gene regulatory networks and in particular the design of synthetic genetic networks using the concepts and techniques of nonlinear physics and lastly the effect of stochasticity on the dynamics. The examples chosen illustrate the usefulness of interdisciplinary approaches in the study of biological networks.