Wiring diagrams in biology: towards the standardized representation of biological information

Abstract

The growing complexity of experimental datasets requires a uniform representation of knowledge for accurate and efficient information exchange. The Systems Biology Graphical Notation (SBGN) standardizes the graphical representation of biological networks. We introduce SBGN bricks as a way to represent typical biological patterns in networks. SBGN bricks should serve as a tool for biologists to draw networks quickly that can then easily be interpreted, used, and altered by other scientists.