Abstract:

Artificial gene regulatory networks are computational models which draw inspiration from real world networks of biological gene regulation. Since their inception they have been used to infer knowledge about gene regulation and as methods of computation. These computational models have been shown to possess properties typically found in the biological world such as robustness and self organisation. Recently, it has become apparent that epigenetic mechanisms play an important role in gene regulation. This paper introduces a new model, the Artificial Epigenetic Regulatory Network (AERN) which builds upon existing models by adding an epigenetic control layer. The results demonstrate that the AERNs are more adept at controlling multiple opposing trajectories within Chirikov's standard map, suggesting that AERNs are an interesting area for further investigation