Research centre for the application and development of computational methods and tools for modeling and analyzing complex biological systems. "Computational modelling of biological systems is becoming increasingly common as we try to understand biological phenomena in their full complexity. In order to meet this challenge we need to establish the methodologies and techniques that will enable us to gain a system-level understanding of biological processes. The goal of the Computational Biology Division is to enhance biological comprehension by using methods and tools designed in Computer Science to model and analyze biological systems."

Within the Computational Biology Division, Andrew Phillips' lab is developing programming languages and tools for simulating and analysing complex models of biological systems. One of his aims is to develop a language in which large models of biological systems can be programmed from simple components in a modular fashion. The ultimate goal is to be able to program and test a biological system on a computer, before implementing the final design inside a living organism. Andrew is collaborating with Jim Haseloff (Plant Sciences, Cambridge) and Jim Ajioka (Pathology, Cambridge) to develop these tools for use in Synthetic Biology.