Complexity is a hallmark of life, from the organization of molecules into cellular machinery to the organization of cells into tissues to the organization of individuals into communities. And these agents often organize into much larger structures; those structures organize into much larger structures and so on, creating multiple scales at which to study life.

A methodology and philosophy as well as a field of study, biocomplexity focuses on the myriad interactions of various agents at differing scales. At Indiana University, the Biocomplexity Institute brings together researchers in physics, chemistry, medicine, biology, informatics, and engineering to study the complex patterns and networks that arise in and among organisms. Examples of the institute's interdisciplinary projects include investigating limb development and regeneration to identify patterns that will enable strategies for enhanced healing, examining the behavior of electrical waves in the heart to better understand cardiac development and function, and exploring the networks of neurons in the cortex to see deeper into the complex activity of our brains.

In all of its work, the Biocomplexity Institute strives to make connections between theoretical, experimental, and applied research as it develops technological and computational solutions to key biological problems.

Copyright 2005, The Trustees of Indiana University