Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Predator-Prey Interactions

Predator-Prey Interactions

Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.

Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Individual and Population Analysis

Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Individual and Population Analysis

Mechanistic models are utilized in individual analysis using single-source data, but imperfections arise due to data collection errors, preventing perfect prediction of observed data. The mathematical equation involves known values (Xi), observed concentrations (Ci), measurement errors (εi), model parameters (ϕj), and the related function (ƒi) for i number of values. Different least-squares metrics quantify differences between predicted and observed values. The ordinary least squares (OLS)...

Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Algorithms for Numerical Problem Solving

Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Algorithms for Numerical Problem Solving

Mechanistic models play a crucial role in algorithms for numerical problem-solving, particularly in nonlinear mixed effects modeling (NMEM). These models aim to minimize specific objective functions by evaluating various parameter estimates, leading to the development of systematic algorithms. In some cases, linearization techniques approximate the model using linear equations.
In individual population analyses, different algorithms are employed, such as Cauchy's method, which uses a...

Model Approaches for Pharmacokinetic Data: Distributed Parameter Models

Model Approaches for Pharmacokinetic Data: Distributed Parameter Models

Pharmacokinetic models are mathematical constructs that represent and predict the time course of drug concentrations in the body, providing meaningful pharmacokinetic parameters. These models are categorized into compartment, physiological, and distributed parameter models.
The distributed parameter models are specifically designed to account for variations and differences in some drug classes. This model is particularly useful for assessing regional concentrations of anticancer or...

Microbial Interactions: Predation

Microbial Interactions: Predation

Microbial predation refers to the process by which one microorganism kills and consumes another to obtain nutrients and energy. It encompasses both bacterial and protozoan predators. This interaction plays a crucial role in shaping microbial communities and regulating nutrient cycling.Bacterial Predators: Epibiotic vs. EndobioticBacterial predators are classified based on their mode of attack as either epibiotic or endobiotic. Epibiotic predators, such as Vampirococcus, attach to the surface of...

Pharmacodynamic Models: Overview

Pharmacodynamic Models: Overview

Pharmacodynamic (PD) responses describe the interaction between a drug and its biological target, culminating in a physiological effect. These responses can be classified into different types: continuous variables, such as blood glucose levels; categorical outcomes, like survival rates; and time-to-event metrics, such as disease progression. Understanding and modeling PD responses are critical for optimizing drug efficacy and safety.PD models describe the relationship between drug concentration...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Host heterogeneity and unpredictability in parasite outbreaks.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Same author

Co-circulation and co-infection: parasite interactions across scales.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026

Same author

Parasite responses to resource provisioning can be altered by within-host co-infection interactions.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2025

Same author

Density-dependent network structuring within and across wild animal systems.

Nature ecology & evolution·2025

Same author

A review of novel structural heart procedures for the anesthesiologist.

Current opinion in anaesthesiology·2025

Same author

Exploring Pathways between Internalized Weight Bias, Eating Disorder Psychopathology, and Weight Loss Expectations in Treatment-Seeking Adults with Binge Eating and Obesity.

Research square·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Generation of a Bovine Primary Enteroid-Derived Two-Dimensional Monolayer Culture System for Applications in Translational Biomedical Research

Generation of a Bovine Primary Enteroid-Derived Two-Dimensional Monolayer Culture System for Applications in Translational Biomedical Research

Published on: April 5, 2024

Using process algebra to develop predator-prey models of within-host parasite dynamics.

Chris McCaig¹, Andy Fenton, Andrea Graham

¹Department of Computing Science and Mathematics, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.

Journal of Theoretical Biology

|March 19, 2013

Summary

This study models parasite and immune cell dynamics using process algebra, a computing technique. It confirms that ratio-dependent functional responses are appropriate for immune system models, despite controversy in ecological predator-prey models.

More Related Videos

Methodology for Developing Life Tables for Sessile Insects in the Field Using the Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in Cotton As a Model System

Methodology for Developing Life Tables for Sessile Insects in the Field Using the Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in Cotton As a Model System

Published on: November 1, 2017

Demystifying In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of a Chagas Disease Mouse Model for Drug Efficacy Studies

Demystifying In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of a Chagas Disease Mouse Model for Drug Efficacy Studies

Published on: May 31, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 13, 2026

Generation of a Bovine Primary Enteroid-Derived Two-Dimensional Monolayer Culture System for Applications in Translational Biomedical Research

Generation of a Bovine Primary Enteroid-Derived Two-Dimensional Monolayer Culture System for Applications in Translational Biomedical Research

Published on: April 5, 2024

Methodology for Developing Life Tables for Sessile Insects in the Field Using the Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in Cotton As a Model System

Methodology for Developing Life Tables for Sessile Insects in the Field Using the Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in Cotton As a Model System

Published on: November 1, 2017

Demystifying In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of a Chagas Disease Mouse Model for Drug Efficacy Studies

Demystifying In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of a Chagas Disease Mouse Model for Drug Efficacy Studies

Published on: May 31, 2024

Area of Science:

Mathematical Biology
Immunology
Ecology

Background:

Immune-mediated parasite dynamics are often modeled using predator-prey analogies.
Previous models primarily used mass action dynamics for immune-parasite interactions.
Recent studies incorporated ecological functional responses, but a novel approach is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop novel mathematical models for within-host parasite dynamics.
To explore the application of process algebra in modeling immune cell behavior.
To investigate the appropriateness of ratio-dependent functional responses in immunological models.

Main Methods:

Utilized process algebra, a computing science technique, to construct mathematical models.
Developed stochastic population models based on individual cell behavior rules.
Derived functional responses from fundamental cellular interactions.

Main Results:

Successfully derived a ratio-dependent functional response from individual cell behaviors.
Confirmed the suitability of ratio-dependent terms for immune system modeling.
Demonstrated the utility of process algebra for creating stochastic population models.

Conclusions:

Process algebra offers a novel method for building stochastic immune system models from cellular rules.
Ratio-dependent functional responses are validated for immune-mediated parasite dynamics.
This approach bridges computational techniques with ecological modeling principles for immunological insights.