Synergy and Complementarity: The Generative Basis of Chemical Organizations
The paper develops a framework within Chemical Organization Theory (COT) to understand persistent reaction network modules. It identifies 'Elementary Reaction Closures' (ERCs) as basic building blocks and defines 'synergy' and 'complementarity' as the rules for combining these blocks to create new, stable organizational structures. This method proves that all persistent modules can be built from these minimal combinations, offering a scalable way to analyze complex biological networks.