New individual-based model links microbial growth to the energy available in the environment

González-Cabaleiro, R. , Curtis, T.P. and Ofiţeru, I.D. (2017) New individual-based model links microbial growth to the energy available in the environment. In: Mannina, G. (ed.) Frontiers in Wastewater Treatment and Modelling: FICWTM 2017. Series: Lecture notes in civil engineering (4). Springer: Cham, pp. 622-627. ISBN 9783319584201 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-58421-8_97)

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Abstract

A new individual-based model is presented in which we aim to describe microbial growth constrained by the environmental conditions at each point of a 2D space. The model is characterized for a full description of the physico-chemistry of the system and uses thermodynamics to approximate the microbial growth. The growth parameters are estimated using the information of the surroundings and it employs only first principles instead of relying on measurements at the population level. This allows ab initio approximation of the growth parameters, and therefore directly links microbial growth and environmental conditions. For this reason, the model is characterised for its flexibility. We test the model in three very different scenarios: anaerobic digestion, aerobic heterotrophic growth and nitrification. Due to its flexibility, rigorous thermodynamic calculations and the possibility to estimate the parameters ab initio, the model will be further used to hypothesize the presence of new functional groups or microbial species not yet discovered and to model complex microbial populations not well understood. Moreover, it can be used to study the rules that control microbial evolution or/and immigration.

Item Type:Book Sections
Status:Published
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Gonzalez-Cabaleiro, Dr Rebeca
Authors: González-Cabaleiro, R., Curtis, T.P., and Ofiţeru, I.D.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Infrastructure and Environment
Publisher:Springer
ISBN:9783319584201
Published Online:05 May 2017

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