The E-CELL project: towards integrative simulation of cellular processes

The E-CELL project was launched in 1996 at Keio University in order to model and simulate various cellular processes with the ultimate goal of simulating the cell as a whole. The first version of the E-CELL simulation system, which is a generic software package for cell modeling, was completed in 1997. The E-CELL system enables us to model not only metabolic pathways but also other higher-order cellular processes such as protein synthesis and membrane transport within the same framework. These various processes can then be integrated into a single simulation model.