OpenWorm - an international project to create a computer model of the worm

OpenWorm - an attempt to build a complete simulation of a worm consisting of 302 nerve cells and 95 muscle cells.
The project started in early 2011 and currently continues to exist through the cooperation of scientists and programmers from the United States, Russia and Europe. All efforts are considered as the first step towards imitation of large biological systems. To build the model, the worm C. elegans was taken.

Biology worm C. elegans

Caenorhabditis elegans, as a rule, abbreviated as C. elegans, is a free-living nematode (roundworm) about 1 mm long. C. elegans is one of the simplest organisms with the nervous system. The worm lives in mild soil conditions and feeds on bacteria. Research on this species in molecular biology and developmental biology began in 1974 with the work of Sydney Brenner. It is widely used as a model organism in research on genetics, neurophysiology, developmental biology, computational biology.
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OpenWorm project

OpenWorm is considered not just as a model, but as the first artificial form of life. The goal is to create a complete, biologically realistic worm emulation, from genes to behavior, by building a model of the body, the nervous system, and the environment of the worm. The motivation of the project is that only by recreating the body can it be understood. C. elegans was chosen because it is one of the smallest and most studied animals in biology. If the project is successful, in the future it will be possible to imitate more complex life forms. For 2014, models of neural connectom and muscle cells were created. A three-dimensional interactive anatomical worm atlas is available on the project website . Participants in the OpenWorm project are also developing the geppetto platform, designed to simulate whole organisms.