Perspectives on Ecological and Evolutionary Systems Biology

Understanding the emergent properties inherent to genome function requires an integrated approach of data from all levels of biology. Molecular biology data alone does not describe the complex interacting functions of organisms, while studies at the level of ecological communities and ecosystems have provided little insight into the molecular underpinnings of adaptation.Merging ecology and evolution into systems biology allows researchers to exploit a wealth of genomic information by incorporating the natural phenotypic, genetic and epigenetic diversity of model systems as well as their diverse ecologies and evolutionary histories. Here, we suggest that systems biology could more fully address the question of how organisms respond to environment if studies incorporated real field settings or experimental manipulation of relevant environmental factors. In addition, although the application of genomic approaches to non-model systems has been slow, we highlight some of the significant progress that has been made. Ecological and evolutionary systems biology will lead to a much more sophisticated understanding of the origins and functions of biological diversity, and serve as a critical component in deciphering how organisms respond to complex environments.