Bioinformatics

VCell – modeling and simulation framework

VCell is a modeling and simulation framework for computational cell biology.

It lets researchers build and analyze cell biological systems ranging from biochemical reaction networks to spatial models that use cellular geometry, combining a standalone client, server components, a shared model database, and simulation tools for deterministic, stochastic, hybrid, and particle-based workflows.

This is free and open source software.

Key Features

  • Build and simulate biochemical network, rule-based, electrophysiology, and spatial cell biology models.
  • Run deterministic ODE and reaction-diffusion simulations, Gillespie and hybrid stochastic simulations, particle-based spatial simulations, network-free simulations, and moving-boundary cell kinematics.
  • Use a standalone VCell client with server components for centralized model storage, cluster computing, and shared simulation data.
  • Work with cellular geometries derived from microscopy images or analytical expressions.
  • Build the Java and Python components from source using Maven, Poetry, Python 3.10, and Java 17.

Website: github.com/virtualcell/vcell
Support:
Developer: Center for Cell Analysis & Modeling, UConn Health
License: MIT License

VCell is written in Java. Learn Java with our recommended free books and free tutorials.


Related Software

Biology Tools
EMBOSSThe European Molecular Biology Open Software Suite
NAMDParallel, object-oriented molecular dynamics
GROMACSMolecular dynamics simulator, with building and analysis tools
VMDDisplays, animates, and analyzes large biomolecular systems 3-D graphics
simuPOPForward-time population genetics simulation environment
MUSCLEMUltiple Sequence Comparison by Log-Expectation
SeaViewGraphical user interface for molecular phyologeny
SeqVizDNA, RNA, and protein sequence viewer
TREE-PUZZLEReconstruction of phylogenetic trees by maximum likelihood
TreeView XDisplays and prints phylogenetic trees

Read our verdict in the software roundup.


Best Free and Open Source Software Explore our comprehensive directory of recommended free and open source software. Our carefully curated collection spans every major software category.

This directory is part of our ongoing series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. It features hundreds of detailed reviews, along with open source alternatives to proprietary solutions from major corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk.

You’ll also find interesting projects to try, hardware coverage, free programming books and tutorials, and much more.

Discovered a useful open source Linux program that we haven’t covered yet? Let us know by completing this form.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted