Generic bifurcations in the dynamics of biochemical networks

Complex behavior in the dynamics of biochemical reaction networks is commonly governed by bifurcations of equilibria and limit cycles. In this tutorial, we discuss two frequent types of bifurcations, the saddle-node and the Hopf bifurcation, and their relation to bistability and oscillations in biochemical networks, respectively. We also present examples from molecular biology where the dynamical behavior of specific networks is defined by these bifurcations.