Cell biology is immensely complex. To understand how cells work, we try to find patterns and suggest hypotheses to identify underlying mechanisms. However, it is not always easy to create a coherent picture from a huge amount of experimental data on biological systems, where the main players have multiple interactions or act in redundant pathways. In such situations, when a hypothesis does not lead to a conclusion in a direct way, theoretical modeling is a powerful tool because it allows us to formulate hypotheses in a quantitative manner and understand their consequences. A successful model should not only reproduce the basic features of the system but also provide exciting predictions, motivating new experiments. Much is learned when a model based on generally accepted knowledge cannot explain experiments of interest, as this indicates that the original hypothesis needs to be revised. In this Perspective, we discuss these points using our experiences in combining experiments with theory in the field of mitotic spindle mechanics.

细胞生物学非常复杂。为了了解细胞如何工作，我们尝试寻找模式并提出假设来识别潜在机制。然而，从生物系统的大量实验数据中创建一个连贯的图像并不总是那么容易，其中主要参与者具有多种相互作用或以冗余路径行事。在这种情况下，当假设不能直接得出结论时，理论建模是一个强大的工具，因为它使我们能够以定量的方式提出假设并理解其后果。一个成功的模型不仅应该重现系统的基本特征，还应该提供令人兴奋的预测，激发新的实验。当基于普遍接受的知识的模型无法解释感兴趣的实验时，我们会学到很多东西，因为这表明原始假设需要修改。在本视角中，我们利用我们在有丝分裂纺锤体力学领域将实验与理论相结合的经验来讨论这些观点。