Welcome to the website of the LINK-Group!

The ModuLand overlapping modularization method family has been published in arxiv.org

December 2009

We have introduced the novel concept of community landscapes and ModuLand, an integrative framework determining overlapping network modules as hills of the community landscape and including several widely used modularization methods as special cases. The current implementations of the community landscape concept provide a fast analysis of weighted and directed networks, and (1) determine overlapping modules with a high resolution; (2) uncover a hierarchical network structure in previously unprecedented details allowing a fast, zoom-in analysis of large networks; (3) allow the determination of key network elements and (4) help to predict network dynamics. The concept opens a wide range of possibilities to develop new approaches and applications including network routing, classification, comparison and prediction. Published version: http://arxiv.org/abs/0912.0161; Supporting website with all downloadable algorithms: http://www.linkgroup.hu/modules.php

The SignaLink database has been completed providing a detailed analysis of cross talks and 40 novel, cancer-specific drug target candidates

September 2009

SignaLink is a manually curated signalling network, which contains 1554 protein components and 1461 interactions of eight major signalling pathways from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, and humans. Unlike worms and flies, all the eight human signalling pathways have the potential to cross-talk with all other pathways. The utilisation of these cross-talks is tissue-specific. We predicted 271 novel signalling proteins in the three species from which all of the six novel C. elegans Notch components were verified experimentally. 40 novel drug target candidates were identified. Posters on the project were awarded both at the March (Tamás Korcsmáros) and September (Illés Farkas) FEBS signaling conferences. Supporting website: http://signalink.org.

The updated, paperback version of the Weak Links book has been released

May 2009

The updated, paperback version of the successful 2006 book on Weak Links, i.e. low affinity, low intensity network contacts has been released in May 30th 2009 and can be ordered here. The book summarizes the stabilizing role of weak links in ALL complex systems, and offers novel chapters on network modules and on the creative elements of networks. The extensive coverage, the easy language and the 832 original references make this book a very good companion to anyone interested in networks between age 14 (or before) and 114 (or later).

The recent Link-Group paper showing that aging is a price of cooperation and complexity became a highlight of BioEssays

Apr 2009

The LINK-Group paper showing that aging can be perceived as a price of cooperation and the development of complexity of the self-organizing matter became a highlight of the June issue of BioEssays. The paper shows that the emergence of hierarchical complexity needs cooperation. This leads to the ageing (i.e. gradual deterioration) of the constituent networks. A stable environment develops cooperation leading to over-optimization, and forming an ‘always-old’ network, which accumulates damage, and dies in an apoptosis-like process. A rapidly changing environment develops competition forming a 'forever-young' network, which may suffer an occasional over-perturbation exhausting system-resources, and causing death in a necrosis-like process. The paper summarizes how various forms of cooperation and consequent ageing emerge as key elements in all major steps of evolution from the formation of protocells to the establishment of the globalized, modern human society.

The SignaLink database received the best poster award of the 2009 FEBS SysBio Conference

March 2009

Tamás Korcsmáros and co-authors presented the SignaLink signaling and protein-protein interaction database at the FEBS SysBio Conference (7-13 March 2009, Alpbach, Austria) and received the best poster award of the meeting. The database and results will be available soon here.

The ModuLand modularization program received a silver medal on a Hungarian National Competition

Feb 2009

Máté Szalay, Robin Palotai and István Kovács received a silver medal on the Hungarian National Science Competition of Undergraduate Students for the ModuLand method determining the overlapping modules of complex networks. A preliminary version of the method can be found here as a patent application. The full description of the method, results and all algorithms, programs and source codes will be available soon here.

The Journal of Biology LINK-Group paper on network-based drug-target prediction became a "highly accessed" paper

Aug 2008

The LINK-Group paper summarizing a number of recent drug-target network papers in leading journals and suggesting novel methods for the network-based prediction of novel drug targets as well as a better network-based assessment of drug candidate efficiency and side effects became a "Highly accessed" paper of the Journal of Biology, the premier biology journal of BioMed Central. An extended version of the paper containing a more detailed description of network-based methods to assess drug-effects on cellular robustness can be found here

Peter Csermely published a Nature Journal Club paper, and its background info in Trends in Biochem. Sci. on creative elements

July 2008

LINK-Group member, Péter Csermely published a Nature Journal Club paper on the active centers of enzymes and proposed that the protein structure network elements forming these active centers, called creative elements, can be found in all evolved networks and play a key role in the development, inheritance and regulation of evolvability. The detailed description of creative elements appeared as a cover story in Trends in Biochem. Sci. and can be found here.Download it!

LINK-Group member, Csaba Pál received ERC and EMBO support and sets up his own lab

December 2007

LINK-Group member, Csaba Pál received an European Research Council (ERC) Starting Independent Researcher Grant and EMBO Installation Grant and starts to run his own lab together with Balázs Papp at the Biological Research Center in Szeged, Hungary from February 2008. Their main focus will be modelling and experimental testing of drug-resistant cells to find alternative remedies to cure various diseases.

LINK-Group member, Balázs Papp received a Prima Primissima Junior Award

December 2007

LINK-Group member, Balázs Papp received a Prima Primissima Junior Award for his outstanding merit in biological sciences. This award is given annually to the ten best scientists of Hungary below 30 years of age.

Conference presentations of the ModuLand network modularization method

November 2007

The novel ModuLand network modularization method of the LINK-Group has been presented in two conferences: at the International Workshop of Complex Systems and Networks as well as at the 3rd Yamada Symposium. Detailed description of the method and a freely downloadable program will be available HERE in late 2008.