Section: Software

Genetic Network Analyzer (GNA)

Participants : Hidde de Jong [Correspondent] , Michel Page, François Rechenmann, Delphine Ropers.

Genetic Network Analyzer (GNA) is the implementation of a method for the qualitative modeling and simulation of gene regulatory networks developed in the IBIS project. The input of GNA consists of a model of the regulatory network in the form of a system of piecewise-linear differential equations, supplemented by inequality constraints on the parameters and initial conditions. From this information, GNA generates a state transition graph summarizing the qualitative dynamics of the system. In order to analyze large graphs, GNA allows the user to specify properties of the qualitative dynamics of a network in temporal logic, using high-level query templates, and to verify these properties on the state transition graph by means of standard model-checking tools, either locally installed or accessible through a remote web server. GNA is currently distributed by the company Genostar, but remains freely available for academic research purposes. The current version is GNA 8.3 . In comparison with the previously distributed versions, GNA 8.3 has the following additional functionalities. First, it supports the editing and visualization of regulatory networks, in an SBGN-compatible format, and second it semi-automatically generates a prototype model from the network structure, thus accelerating the modeling process. For more information, see http://www-helix.inrialpes.fr/gna .