Network-based metabolic analysis and microbial community modeling

Network inference is being applied to studies of microbial ecology to visualize and characterize microbial communities. Network representations can allow examination of the underlying organizational structure of a microbial community, and identification of key players or environmental conditions that influence community assembly and stability. Microbial co-association networks provide information on the dynamics of community structure as a function of time or other external variables. Community metabolic networks can provide a mechanistic link between species through identification of metabolite exchanges and species specific resource requirements. When used together, co-association networks and metabolic networks can provide a more in-depth view of the hidden rules that govern the stability and dynamics of microbial communities.