Abstract

Computational simulations are now an important component of the toolkit for studying biological systems. While it is easy to simulate well-mixed solutions in order to model intra-cellular processes, it is more difficult to capture spatial phenomena characterizing microbial communities. The problem is compounded because we need to capture not only inter-cellular communication but also changing configurations, with microbes that move, change shape, and create new communication channels.

In this talk I will review some of the methodologies that have been developed for spatially-aware computational modelling of microbial communities and the limitations of these methodologies. I will also present some of our results in capturing some of the intriguing behaviour of myxobacteria communities (namely rippling and the formation of fruiting bodies) via a spatial simulation based on the Cellular Potts Model.