The clonal architecture of a tumor results from the processes of cell division, cell death, and mutation. This mechanism gives rise to a mass of genetically distinct populations, leading to intra-tumor heterogeneity. We have designed a fully stochastic tumor evolution model that integrates genotypic inheritance with phenotype driven functional traits. Mutational events are associated with functional capabilities such as altered proliferation, increased mutation rates, limit evasion potential, or enhanced control over shared resources. The model is proven to reproduce observed behaviors, to improve our understanding of the system, and to help in testing predictions. Volpatto et al. 2026
Image Credit: Daniela Volpatto
Education Articles
Ten simple rules for teaching data science
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 10, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014338
Ten simple rules for executing an inherited research plan in computational biology
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 12, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014357
Ten simple rules for writing a peer review
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 15, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014359
Ten simple rules for turning your qualifying exam into an NIH-style fellowship proposal: A guide for graduate students
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 18, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014420
Ten simple rules for making the supplement increase your paper’s impact
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014419
Ten quick tips for classifying unknown bacteriophage
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 23, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014403
Perspectives
The total eclipse of bioinformatics: From disruption to convention, and a gentle warning
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 1, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014287
Predictive modeling in biology and medicine: Digital twins and multi-scale modeling
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 4, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014349
Review
On the conditions for shifts in metabolic strategies
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 26, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014417
Research Articles
A statistical framework for comparing epidemic forests
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 1, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014271
Supervised deep learning with gene functional annotation for cell classification
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 1, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014327
On real-time calibrated prediction for complex model-based decision support in pandemics: Part 2
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 1, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014299
Challenges and progress in RNA velocity: Comparative analysis across multiple biological contexts
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 1, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014303
Data-driven model reveals increased stability of CAG-expanded huntingtin RNA due to MID1 binding
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 2, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014342
Assessing the importance of sex and disease-specific anatomy in electrophysiology and mechanical simulations with a newly developed public virtual cohort of four-chamber heart models
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 2, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014325
Linking reduced prefrontal microcircuit inhibition in schizophrenia to EEG biomarkers in silico
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 2, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014304
PepAnno: A structure-aware deep learning framework for bioactive peptide prediction, structural visualization, and physicochemical profiling
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 2, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014369
A comparative study of simulation-based inference methods for epidemic models with identifiability considerations
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 2, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014364
IsoPepTracker: An interactive web application for peptide-driven isoform analysis
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 3, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014324
CIPHER: An end-to-end framework for designing optimized aggregated spatial transcriptomics experiments
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 4, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014362
Cell differentiation can underpin the reproducibility of morphogenesis
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 4, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014361
StPedf: Cell trajectory inference of spatial transcriptomics via spatial proximity embedding and spatial density-adaptive fusion
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 5, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014346
Heuristic multi-site optimization for protein sequence design using Masked Protein Language Models
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 5, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014365
A multiscale, Bayesian inference approach to augment mechanistic models of cell signaling with machine-learning predictions of binding affinity
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 5, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014321
Statistics of cortical representational drift can enable robust readout
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 8, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014297
Assessing the inference of single-cell phylogenies and population dynamics from CRISPR lineage recordings
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 8, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014370
Evolution of phenocopying in a dynamical model of developmental trajectories
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 9, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014385
Multi-stable oscillations in cortical networks with two classes of inhibition
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 9, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014391
Interpreting higher-order dependence in multimorbidity using cohort data: A partial information decomposition approach
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 10, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014386
A mean-field model of neural networks with PV and SOM interneurons reveals connectivity-based mechanisms of gamma oscillations
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 10, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014378
Robust discovery of mutational signatures using power posteriors
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 11, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014372
MicroRNA target gene prediction model based on input-feature dependency and sample data expansion technique
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 11, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014402
Catecholamine precursor modulation of human exploration: Evidence from a large gender-balanced sample
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 11, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014356
A zero-parameter first-principles gate framework for full-length TP53 missense variant interpretation
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 11, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014168
A new method for augmenting short time series, with application to pain events in sickle cell disease
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 12, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014389
Stage-dependent role of NEK7 in the inactive-to-active conformational transition of NLRP3 monomer
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 12, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014405
WormSORT: A detection-based multiple object tracking model for individual silkworms in breeding environments
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 15, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014410
Environmental “knees” and “wiggles” as strong stabilizers of species’ range limits set by interspecific competition
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 15, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014336
Fung-AI: An AI/ML-driven pipeline for antifungal peptide discovery
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 15, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014105
A multilevel hierarchical framework for quantification of experimental heterogeneity in population snapshot data
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 15, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014379
Evolution and the ultimatum game: An agent-based model with interbirth intervals and population structure
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 16, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014387
Machine learning-driven identification of virulence determinants in Borrelia burgdorferi associated with human dissemination
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 17, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014407
Combining machine learning and iterative experiments to keep pace with emerging viral variants of concern
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 17, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014394
Deciphering cell type-specific causal genetic effects on brain imaging-derived phenotypes and disorders with single-cell Mendelian randomization
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 17, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014422
Mechanisms underlying spontaneous and evoked calcium responses in oligodendrocyte precursor cells: A modeling investigation
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 18, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013430
A comparison of contact patterns derived from the population structure in agent-based models and empirical contact survey data
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 18, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013533
A lactylation- and autophagy-associated prognostic signature reveals LSEC-derived CLEC3B as a novel mediator of hepatocellular carcinoma suppression
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014426
Beyond the canonical: The role of post-transcriptional regulation in drug-target interaction prediction
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014440
Integrative modelling of innate immune response dynamics during virus infection
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014395
Heterogeneous suppressive effect of Wolbachia incompatible insect technique coupled with sterile insect technique across time and historical Ae. aegypti abundance - using distributional synthetic controls
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014355
Towards modeling phage therapy
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014408
Cell-type resolved transcriptional network analysis of in vivo cellular senescence following injury
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014429
Adhesion and polarity-driven morphogenesis: Mechanisms and constraints in tissue formation
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013939
TCRBinder: Unified pre-trained language model with paired-chain synergy for predicting T-cell receptor binding specificity
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014396
A novel biclustering algorithm for mining m6A co-methylation patterns based on beta-binomial distribution and data screening strategy
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 23, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014430
CARGO: A Cytometry Analysis framework via Regularized Graph Optimal-transport
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 23, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014358
A new cancer progression model: From synthetic tumors to real data and back
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 24, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013991
The transcriptional gradient in negative-strand RNA viruses suggests a common RNA transcription mechanism
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 24, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014441
Variable selection-combined causal mediation analysis for continuous treatments with application to large-dimensional biomedical data
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 24, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014436
Evaluating vectors for the design of a spillover-disrupting Lassa virus transmissible vaccine
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 26, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014390
scRADAR: Dissecting intratumoral drug response heterogeneity at single-cell resolution via mechanism-guided prototype routing
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 26, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014392
Quantitative anatomy and biophysical modeling of ascending neuromodulatory systems in the developing rat neocortex
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 26, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014460
Predicting continuous outcomes: Some new tests of associative approaches to contingency learning
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 26, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013220
Single-threshold–guided adaptive cancer therapy with partial-cycle treatment: A mechanistic and reinforcement learning analysis
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 26, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014457
Delayed reward information is underweighted in reinforcement learning with dispersed feedback
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 29, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014459
Systematic design of auxotrophic strains and media conditions to probe metabolic functions in E. coli
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 29, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014469
GHF-ACL: A novel contrastive learning framework with multi-order graph structures for herb-disease association prediction
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 29, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014461
GATE: Adaptive learning with working memory by information gating in multi-lamellar hippocampal formation
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 29, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014438
Neuronal excitability and parameter variability in the Hodgkin-Huxley model
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 29, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014458
Linking retinal sampling in neural encoding models to temporal profiles of visual processing in humans
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 30, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014371
Detection, communication, and individual identification with deep audio embeddings: A case study with North Atlantic right whales
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 30, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013321
Correction
Correction: Viral escape-inspired framework for structure-guided dual bait protein biosensor design
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 12, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014398
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Retractions
Retraction: Two Birds with One Stone? Possible Dual-Targeting H1N1 Inhibitors from Traditional Chinese Medicine
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 9, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014360
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Retraction: Identification of Potent EGFR Inhibitors from TCM Database@Taiwan
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Methods
Histology-informed spatial domain identification through multi-view graph convolutional networks
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 1, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014281
scMagnifier: Resolving fine-grained cell subtypes via GRN-informed perturbations and consensus clustering
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 18, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014167
Exploring the structural lexicon of the Proteome via Metric Geometry
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 30, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014487
CAdir: Joint clustering of cells and genes for single-cell transcriptomics with visualization-driven cluster quality assessment
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 30, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014418
Software
BeetleAtlas 2: An enhanced Tribolium castaneum web resource for tissue and developmental transcriptomics allowing refinement of gene predictions
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 1, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014314
pyhgf: A neural network library for predictive coding
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014340
GrassSV – hybrid method to detect structural variants in high throughput DNA-seq data
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014406
CoDaLoMic: An R package for modeling microbiome compositional and longitudinal data
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014328
HoloBio: A holographic microscopy tool for quantitative biological analysis
PLOS Computational Biology: published June 22, 2026 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013928