We propose a variant of the CCS process algebra with new features aiming at
allowing multiscale modelling of biological systems. In the usual semantics of
process algebras for modelling biological systems actions are instantaneous.
When different scale levels of biological systems are considered in a single
model, one should take into account that actions at a level may take much more
time than actions at a lower level. Moreover, it might happen that while a
component is involved in one long lasting high level action, it is involved
also in several faster lower level actions.
This volume contains the papers presented at the first International Workshop
on Applications of Membrane Computing, Concurrency and Agent-based Modelling in
Population Biology (AMCA-POP 2010) held in Jena, Germany on August 25th, 2010
as a satellite event of the 11th Conference on Membrane Computing (CMC11).
We present the MIM calculus, a modeling formalism with a strong biological
basis, which provides biologically-meaningful operators for representing the
interaction capabilities of molecular species. The operators of the calculus
are inspired by the reaction symbols used in Molecular Interaction Maps (MIMs),
a diagrammatic notation used by biologists. Models of the calculus can be
easily derived from MIM diagrams, for which an unambiguous and executable
interpretation is thus obtained.