Quantitative models of nitrogen-fixing organisms

• Published in: Computational and structural biotechnology journal 2020-01, Vol.18, p.3905-3924
• Main Authors: Inomura, Keisuke, Deutsch, Curtis, Masuda, Takako, Prášil, Ondřej, Follows, Michael J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Mathematical model; Nitrogen fixation; Nitrogen fixers; Oxygen; Photosynthesis; Quantitative model; Review
• ISSN: 2001-0370; 2001-0370
• DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.11.022

[Display omitted] •Nitrogen fixing organisms employ diverse strategies for converting dinitrogen into bioavailable ammonium in spite of the energetic costs and physiological constraints in terrestrial and aquatic environments.•Quantitative models of these organisms spanning a range of complexity – from simple equations to complex metabolic networks – have been used to study N2 fixation, and allow detailed representations to be distilled into simple underlying principles for understanding similarities and differences across taxa in terrestrial and aquatic domains.•These models complement laboratory experiments and observations by aiding the quantitative interpretation of data, predicting phenomena, formulating new hypothesis, and facilitating knowledge discovery. Nitrogen-fixing organisms are of importance to the environment, providing bioavailable nitrogen to the biosphere. Quantitative models have been used to complement the laboratory experiments and in situ measurements, where such evaluations are difficult or costly. Here, we review the current state of the quantitative modeling of nitrogen-fixing organisms and ways to enhance the bridge between theoretical and empirical studies.