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Thermodynamic Limits and Optimality of Microbial Growth
Nima P Saadat1, Tim Nies1, Yvan Rousset1
1Institute of Quantitative and Theoretical Biology, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 8, 2020
Summary
This study reviews theoretical approaches to microbial growth, bridging classical black box models with modern metabolic modeling. It highlights thermodynamic constraints and suggests integrating these methods for a deeper understanding of microbial growth principles.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Physiology
- Theoretical Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Mathematical modeling of microbial growth originated with Jacques Monod's work in the 1940s, relating growth rate to nutrient concentration.
- Thermodynamic theories developed in the late 20th century provided insights into microbial growth limitations by analyzing heat production and entropy balance.
- Modern genome-scale metabolic models detail cellular processes but often superficially incorporate thermodynamic constraints, creating a disconnect with classical theories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and integrate diverse theoretical approaches for describing microbial growth based on thermodynamics.
- To outline the thermodynamic limits and optimality principles derived from these models.
- To bridge the gap between classical 'black box' models and contemporary metabolic modeling approaches.
Main Methods:
- Review of classical black box models of cellular growth.
- Analysis of recent metabolic modeling approaches incorporating thermodynamic principles.
- Contextualization within fundamental considerations of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics.
- Identification of conceptual overlaps and integration strategies between different modeling paradigms.
Main Results:
- Classical and modern modeling approaches for microbial growth are often disconnected.
- Thermodynamic constraints are crucial for understanding microbial growth limitations and optimality.
- Genome-scale models can infer key parameters for black box models, such as energy of formation and degree of reduction of biomass.
Conclusions:
- Integrating classical thermodynamic theories with modern metabolic models offers a more comprehensive understanding of microbial growth.
- Microbial growth can be conceptualized through the lens of thermodynamic machines operating near theoretical optima.
- Further integration can reveal the extent to which microbial metabolism adheres to fundamental thermodynamic principles.
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