Conceptualizing Genetic Information and Genetic Causation in a Systems Biology Framework

There are high stakes both scientifically, socially and morally when questioning the causal role of genes. It has become an important goal in the philosophy of biology to elucidate the causal and conceptual role of genes as well as their scientific, polit ical, ethical and cultural significance. Gene-centered research has dominated biological science the last century, but now system-based approaches are becoming more wide-spread and contribute interesting and novel results. Developmental Systems Theory a nd experimental network approaches question the role of genes both heuristically and ontologically and may have important implications for our understanding of genetic information and causation. Thus, the main objectives of this project are to I. Inve stigate consequences of modern system-based approaches in biology for the concept of genetic information II. Develop a theoretical account of biological causation based on complex network approaches addressing the relation between genetic and epigenetic causes System-based accounts tend to argue that development is jointly determined by a set of diverse causes in which genes are not privileged. Additionally genes are argued not to have a special informational role. I investigate if there is room for lo cal attributions of causal primacy and information to genes within system-based frameworks. Modern biological research contributes several alternative ways of viewing the role of genes in relation to other factors in complex molecular networks. Importan t in these approaches are architectural features of biological systems, attractor states, phenotypic resilience etc. Incorporating these elements of modern system-based network approaches, I will investigate the role of the genetic material in a more inte grative approach to genetic causation.