
294 ◾ Biological Computation
e last few years have seen many initiatives for creating languages for
describing biological systems. Paradoxically, this multitude of initiatives
is problematic. It seems that it would be better to select one language (or
a small number of languages) and to focus on the monumental task of
translating the vast array of biological knowledge to this formal language.
Only when there is a critical mass of biological knowledge described in a
few common formal languages will we be able to gain the full scientic
benet promised by standardized formal languages.
Given the current diculties in adapting and using