Abstract: As biology has become a data-rich science, more biological phenomena have become amenable to modeling and analysis using mathematical and statistical methods. At the same time, more mathematical areas have developed applications in the biosciences, in particular algebra, discrete mathematics, topology, and geometry. This talk will present some case studies from algebra and discrete mathematics applied to the construction and analysis of dynamic models of biological networks. Some emerging themes will be highlighted, outlining a broader research agenda at the interface of biology and algebra and discrete mathematics. No special knowledge in any of these fields is required to follow the presentation.