  Design patterns are generalized solutions to frequently recurring problems.
They were initially developed by architects and computer scientists to create a
higher level of abstraction for their designs. Here, we extend these concepts
to cell biology in order to lend a new perspective on the evolved designs of
cells' underlying reaction networks. We present a catalog of 21 design patterns
divided into three categories: creational patterns describe processes that
build the cell, structural patterns describe the layouts of reaction networks,
and behavioral patterns describe reaction network function. Applying this
pattern language to the E. coli central metabolic reaction network, the yeast
pheromone response signaling network, and other examples lends new insights
into these systems.
