Investigating order in chaos: molecular components that cumulatively dictate aging and emergence of diseases

Investigating or identifying rules of engagement that dictate emergence of phenotypes and encompass the myriad components that make up living systems is tantalizing. Based on close to a decade’s work, we are now trying to dissect out emergent properties of molecular components that dictate physiological homeostasis, which is essentially a culmination of both evolutionary history of the species and life history of the individual organism. Metabolism is one of the biggest contributors of noise or randomness. Moreover, given the dynamic oscillation of metabolic/energetic status in all living beings, it is still unclear how response thresholds, information gating and fidelity of state reversals are achieved. Our recent work has led us to propose how molecular/metabolic oscillations (amplitudes and frequencies), could lead to a cumulative and long-lasting consequence on phenotypes