Microbial ecosystems and multiple environment stoichiometric analyses

General info

Date from - to

01 Nov 2008 - 01 Oct 2011

Abstract

The attainable flux states of a metabolic network of an organism result from selective pressures acting on the organism's ability to cope with: (i) changes in environmental conditions (adaptational potential) and (ii) functioning and interacting as a component in a microbial community (ecological potential). In this project we will extent stoichiometric analysis to deal explicitly with those adaptational and ecological pressures to learn more about the functioning of metabolic networks and their constraints. Hereby we extend the repertoire of available flux balance analysis approaches that have considered thermodynamic, maximal-enzyme activity, regulatory (transcription factor network related) and stoichiometric constraints with two new approaches that can be used to: (i) assess the influence of microbial community structure on the metabolic states of its composing species and vice versa (Microbial Community Flux Balance Analysis (MCFBA) and other stoichiometric tools) and (ii) establish the adaptational mechanism of an organism when it is confronted with changes in its environmental conditions (Multi-Environment Flux Balance Analysis (MEFBA)). In addition, a modular stoichiometric description, an elementary mode analysis for ecosystems, and a hybrid approach to deal with partially-characterized ecosystems will be developed. This research will enhance our understanding of: (i) the adaptational capabilities of organisms both in isolation from the ecosystem and as part of an ecosystem and (ii) the design and stoichiometric constraints shaping microbial communities.

Coordinator: Dr. ing. F.J. Bruggeman, Center of Mathematics & Computer Science (CWI)