Given that most of Earth's terrestrial environments are being perturbed by humans, it is essential that we gain a better understanding of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling to help ameliorate potential negative effects. Nitrifying bacteria are key elements of the N Cycle, initiating the movement of fixed inorganic N (ammonia, NH3) to nitrate (NO3-) in a coupled two-step process. Here, we provide insight into the growth dynamics of two important model bacteria � Nitrosomonas europaea, an ammonia-oxidizing bacterium, and of Nitrobacter winogradskyi, a nitrite-oxidizing bacterium, using the tools of systems biology. Our approach consists of discrete dynamic models for coupled microbial systems using integrated transciptomic/genome scale constraints based models. Our work suggests that growth in the selected environment (chemostat co-culture with defined media) is driven by complex biochemical responses to relatively simple chemical interactions.

Elucidating the coupled dynamics of the nitrifying bacteria Nitrosomonas europaea and Nitrobacter winogradskyi grown in chemostat co-culture

247th National Meeting (2014)

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