Parallel Computing Platform for the Agent-Based Modeling of Multicellular Biological Systems

Abstract. Agent-based simulation of large multicellular biological sys-tems has become a viable option owing to affordable parallel computers, such as Beowulf-style clusters. We describe a scalable modular software platform that (i) provides for an easy integration of different solvers com-puting internal dynamics of the cells, and (ii) dynamically adapts to the changing loads on the cluster nodes using a load balancing algorithm. Simulations of systems of about 100,000 bacterial cells have been shown to be feasible using the platform.