Noesis
Level 1 — RecognitionSystems Biology & Frontiers

Systems Biology & Frontiers

⏱ 20 minutes30 marksprintable — key stays hidden on paper

Level 1: Recognition Test

Time limit: 20 minutes Total marks: 30

Section A — Multiple Choice (choose ONE correct option) — 10 × 1 = 10 marks

Q1. Systems biology is best described as an approach that:

  • A) Studies a single gene in complete isolation
  • B) Focuses only on protein crystal structures
  • C) Studies interactions and emergent properties of whole biological systems (holistic modeling)
  • D) Rejects all mathematical modeling

Q2. A gene regulatory network primarily describes interactions between:

  • A) Transcription factors and their target genes
  • B) Only lipids in membranes
  • C) Bones and muscles
  • D) Two unrelated organisms

Q3. Metabolic network modeling often uses which technique to predict steady-state fluxes?

  • A) PCR amplification
  • B) Flux Balance Analysis (FBA)
  • C) Gram staining
  • D) Karyotyping

Q4. Signal transduction networks convert an extracellular signal into a cellular response mainly through:

  • A) Random diffusion only
  • B) Cascades of molecular interactions (e.g., receptor → kinase → effector)
  • C) Mitosis exclusively
  • D) Passive osmosis of glucose

Q5. "Multi-omics integration" refers to combining data from:

  • A) Only the genome
  • B) Genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc.
  • C) Only fossils
  • D) Only ecological surveys

Q6. Emergent behavior in biological systems means that:

  • A) System-level properties arise that are not obvious from individual parts alone
  • B) Every property is fully predictable from one molecule
  • C) The system has no interactions
  • D) Behavior only exists in single atoms

Q7. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is valuable because it:

  • A) Averages all cells into one bulk value
  • B) Reveals cell-to-cell heterogeneity in gene expression
  • C) Sequences only DNA of viruses
  • D) Cannot detect distinct cell types

Q8. Spatial transcriptomics adds which key dimension to gene expression data?

  • A) Time travel
  • B) The physical location of transcripts within a tissue
  • C) The pH of the ocean
  • D) Sound frequency

Q9. A "minimal cell" (e.g., JCVI-syn3.0) is designed to contain:

  • A) The maximum possible number of genes
  • B) Only the genes essential for life under lab conditions
  • C) No genetic material at all
  • D) Only human chromosomes

Q10. The human microbiome refers to:

  • A) The collection of microorganisms living in and on the body
  • B) A single bacterial cell only
  • C) The mineral content of bones
  • D) Viruses that are always harmful

Section B — Matching — 6 marks

Q11. Match each term (1–6) to its correct description (A–F). (6 × 1 = 6 marks)

Term Description
1. Epigenomics A. Combining multiple layers of omics data
2. Gene regulatory network B. Genome-wide study of chemical marks (e.g., DNA methylation) without DNA sequence change
3. Flux Balance Analysis C. Locates gene expression within intact tissue
4. Multi-omics D. Map of transcription factor–gene interactions
5. Spatial transcriptomics E. Mathematical method to predict metabolic fluxes
6. Microbiome F. Community of microbes with systemic effects on the host

Section C — True/False WITH Justification — 7 × 2 = 14 marks

(1 mark correct T/F, 1 mark valid justification)

Q12. Emergent properties can be fully predicted by studying one component in isolation. (T/F + justify)

Q13. Ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are commonly used in mathematical modeling of biological systems. (T/F + justify)

Q14. Epigenomic changes alter the underlying DNA base sequence. (T/F + justify)

Q15. The gut microbiome can influence the host's immune system and metabolism. (T/F + justify)

Q16. Bulk RNA-seq gives the same resolution of cellular heterogeneity as single-cell RNA-seq. (T/F + justify)

Q17. Synthetic genomes and minimal cells raise no ethical or societal concerns. (T/F + justify)

Q18. Systems biology relies purely on experiments and never uses computational models. (T/F + justify)

Answer keyMark scheme & solutions

Section A — MCQ (1 mark each)

Q1 — C. Systems biology studies interactions/emergent properties holistically, not isolated parts. (1)

Q2 — A. GRNs map transcription factors regulating target genes. (1)

Q3 — B. Flux Balance Analysis predicts steady-state metabolic fluxes using stoichiometric constraints. (1)

Q4 — B. Signalling works via cascades: receptor → kinase → effector → response. (1)

Q5 — B. Multi-omics = integrating genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc. (1)

Q6 — A. Emergence = system-level properties not evident from single parts. (1)

Q7 — B. scRNA-seq reveals cell-to-cell heterogeneity; bulk methods average it away. (1)

Q8 — B. Spatial transcriptomics preserves the physical location of transcripts. (1)

Q9 — B. A minimal cell keeps only genes essential for life under given conditions. (1)

Q10 — A. The microbiome = all microorganisms living in/on the body. (1)

Section A total: 10 marks

Section B — Matching (1 mark each)

Q11:

  • 1 → B (Epigenomics = genome-wide chemical marks, no sequence change)
  • 2 → D (GRN = TF–gene interaction map)
  • 3 → E (FBA = predicts metabolic fluxes mathematically)
  • 4 → A (Multi-omics = combining omics layers)
  • 5 → C (Spatial transcriptomics = expression location in tissue)
  • 6 → F (Microbiome = microbial community with systemic effects)

Section B total: 6 marks

Section C — True/False + Justification (2 marks each)

Q12 — FALSE (1). Justification: Emergent properties arise from interactions among many components and cannot be deduced from any single part alone. (1)

Q13 — TRUE (1). Justification: ODEs describe rates of change of concentrations/species over time and are a standard tool for modeling dynamic biological systems. (1)

Q14 — FALSE (1). Justification: Epigenomic marks (e.g., DNA methylation, histone modification) change gene expression without altering the DNA base sequence. (1)

Q15 — TRUE (1). Justification: Gut microbes produce metabolites and interact with immune cells, influencing host immunity and metabolism (systemic effects). (1)

Q16 — FALSE (1). Justification: Bulk RNA-seq averages expression across all cells, masking individual cell-type differences that scRNA-seq resolves. (1)

Q17 — FALSE (1). Justification: They raise concerns about biosafety, biosecurity, dual-use, and "playing God"/regulation — real ethical/societal challenges. (1)

Q18 — FALSE (1). Justification: Systems biology integrates experiments with computational/mathematical models; modeling is central to it. (1)

Section C total: 14 marks

PAPER TOTAL: 30 marks

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  {"claim": "Section B matching = 6 marks", "code": "result = (6*1 == 6)"},
  {"claim": "Section C has 7 T/F items at 2 marks = 14", "code": "result = (7*2 == 14)"},
  {"claim": "Total marks = 30", "code": "result = (10 + 6 + 14 == 30)"},
  {"claim": "Total question count 12 to 18 in range 15-20 is false; actual items = 18", "code": "result = (10 + 1 + 7 == 18)"}
]