Systems Biology Graphical Notation

The Systems Biology Graphical Notation (SBGN) project is an effort to standardize the graphical notation used in diagrams of pathways, biochemical processes, and cellular processes studied in systems biology.

SBGN defines a comprehensive set of symbols with precise semantics, together with detailed syntactic rules defining their use and how diagrams are to be interpreted. By standardizing the visual notation, SBGN can serve as a bridge between different communities in research, education, publishing, and more. The real payoff will come when researchers are as familiar with the notation as electronics engineers are familiar with the notation of circuit schematics. If researchers are saved the time and effort required to familiarize themselves with different notations, they can spend more time thinking about the biology being depicted.

You can view the project info here.