SysMO: Systems Biology of Clostridium acetobutylicum - a possible answer to dwindling crude oil reserves.

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Production of transport biofuels (incl. Production from wastes))
Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Production of other biomass-derived fuels (incl. Production from wastes))

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Applied Mathematics)

Not Cross-cutting

Prof J King
Mathematical Sciences
University of Nottingham

Research Grant

BBSRC

03 April 2007

02 April 2010

36 months

£260,304

Manufacturing; Transport Systems and Vehicles

East Midlands

Systems Biology of Microorganisms (SysMo)

Prof J King, Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham

This grant is linked to BB/F003390/1.

The current research forms part of a SysMO project on the systems biology of Clostridium acetobutylicum and is focussed on the development of multiscale mathematical models for key processes involved, namely: (1) intercellular signalling and quorum sensing; (2) the regulatory networks associated with solventogenesis and sporulation; (3) the effects of redox state and glycosylation on solventogenesis; (4) stress response during transition. The main focus will be on the development and analysis of deterministic (primarily ordinary-differential-equation) models describing the above processes; stochastic effects will also be considered where appropriate. These new models will be the subject of extensive numerical simulations, together with parametrisation using, and verification against, experimental data (including that from partner teams). They will also be subject to sensitivity analyses and studies using asymptotic and dynamical-systems approaches in order to enhance their predictive capacity and to maximise the intuition they provide into the complex hierarchies of network interactions that are possible.

10/12/13