PNNL

Abstract

We have developed a new hybrid model to study how microbial dynamics are affected by the heterogeneity in the physical structure of the environment. The modeling framework can represent porous media such as soil. The individual based biological model can explicitly simulate microbial diversity, and cell metabolism is regulated via optimal allocation of cellular resources to enzyme synthesis, control of growth rate by protein synthesis capacity, and shifts to dormancy. This model was developed to study how microbial community functioning is influenced by local environmental conditions and by the functional attributes of individual microbes. Different strategies for acquisition of carbon from polymeric cellulose were investigated. Bacteria that express membrane-associated hydrolase had different growth and survival dynamics in soil pores than bacteria that release extracellular hydrolases. The kinetic differences may suggest different functional roles for these two classes of microbes in cellulose utilization. Our model predicted an emergent behavior in which co-existence led to higher cellulose utilization efficiency and reduced stochasticity. Microbial community dynamics were simulated at two spatial scales: micro-pores that resemble 6-20 µm size portions of the soil physical structure and in 111 µm size soil aggregates with a random pore structure. Trends in dynamic properties were very similar at these two scales, implying that micro-scale studies can be useful approximations to aggregate scale studies when local effects on microbial dynamics are studied.