Feedback loops between mathematics and microbiology
Douglas R. Brumley A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
Dr Douglas Brumley, BSc (Hons), PhD (Cantab) is a Senior Lecturer at The University of Melbourne. He leads an interdisciplinary research group that utilises mathematics, microfluidics and microscopy to study a range of dynamic processes in biology including bacterial motility, symbioses, nutrient cycling and flows around coral reefs. |
* Correspondence to: d.brumley@unimelb.edu.au
Microbiology Australia 43(1) 32-35 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA22010
Submitted: 3 March 2022 Accepted: 21 March 2022 Published: 19 April 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the ASM. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
The combination of mathematical modelling and quantitative video-microscopy provides exciting opportunities for elucidating the mechanisms behind key processes in microbial ecology, ranging from cell navigation and nutrient cycling to biofilm establishment and symbioses. Central to this approach is the iterative process, whereby experiments and modelling inform one another in a virtuous cycle: vast quantities of experimental data help to test and refine mathematical models, the predictions from which feed back to the experimental design itself. This paper discusses recent technologies, emerging applications, and examples where calibrated mathematical models enable calculation of quantities that are otherwise extremely difficult to measure.
Keywords: applied mathematics, chemotaxis, fluid dynamics, microbial ecology, microfluidics, motility, navigation, video-microscopy.
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