Presentation Information
[SS08-02]Thermodynamic and metabolic trait-based approaches to microbial community modeling
*Mayumi Seto1 (1. Nara Women's University (Japan))
Keywords:
Thermodynamics,Microbial community ecology,Metabolic networks,Microbial reactions,Ecosystem ecology
Food web analysis based on trophic interactions has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of community and ecosystem ecology. In contrast, microbial interactions are predominantly shaped by metabolic product handoffs, necessitating the description and analysis of network structures centered on these exchanges to elucidate microbial community dynamics. Incorporating the concept of metabolic product handoffs introduces additional complexity to already diverse microbial communities, potentially posing challenges for mathematical biologists. However, shifting our analytical focus from individual microorganisms to the reaction systems they mediate allows us to integrate thermodynamic perspectives that were previously inapplicable at the organismal level.
The rates of biochemical reactions are accelerated and regulated by enzyme activity, yet the fundamental feasibility of such reactions is strictly governed by thermodynamic constraints. Consequently, thermodynamic calculations have often provided robust predictions regarding the directionality of metabolic fluxes. At the individual level, the terminal metabolic products excreted after substrate uptake are the net outcome of an organism’s complex internal metabolic network. By applying thermodynamic calculations to these net reactions, we can predict the directionality of microbial metabolism and estimate the associated energy yields at the community level.
This approach enables the translation of microbial community network structure into chemical reaction networks, leveraging thermodynamic information to infer microbial community dynamics. While thermodynamics has played a foundational role in biogeochemistry, its application to microbial community ecology remains relatively underexplored. In this presentation, I introduce thermodynamic perspectives that offer novel insights into the interplay between evolution, biodiversity, and ecosystem productivity. I will present key hypotheses derived from recent work and discuss the implications for empirical research, aiming to bridge the gap between the laws of thermodynamics and biology.
The rates of biochemical reactions are accelerated and regulated by enzyme activity, yet the fundamental feasibility of such reactions is strictly governed by thermodynamic constraints. Consequently, thermodynamic calculations have often provided robust predictions regarding the directionality of metabolic fluxes. At the individual level, the terminal metabolic products excreted after substrate uptake are the net outcome of an organism’s complex internal metabolic network. By applying thermodynamic calculations to these net reactions, we can predict the directionality of microbial metabolism and estimate the associated energy yields at the community level.
This approach enables the translation of microbial community network structure into chemical reaction networks, leveraging thermodynamic information to infer microbial community dynamics. While thermodynamics has played a foundational role in biogeochemistry, its application to microbial community ecology remains relatively underexplored. In this presentation, I introduce thermodynamic perspectives that offer novel insights into the interplay between evolution, biodiversity, and ecosystem productivity. I will present key hypotheses derived from recent work and discuss the implications for empirical research, aiming to bridge the gap between the laws of thermodynamics and biology.