Microbe Metabolism

Diverse microorganisms undergoing growth and reproduction. As organisms evolved from simple prokaryotes to unicellular eukaryotes to multicellular organisms their strategies for internal energy partitioning dramatically changed as illustrated by a recent mathematical model. Image courtesy of Mari Kempes

Diverse microorganisms undergoing growth and reproduction. As organisms evolved from simple prokaryotes to unicellular eukaryotes to multicellular organisms their strategies for internal energy partitioning dramatically changed as illustrated by a recent mathematical model. Image courtesy of Mari Kempes

Population growth rate is a fundamental ecological and evolutionary characteristic of living organisms, but individuals must balance the metabolism devoted to biosynthesis and reproduction against the maintenance of existing structure and other functionality. Chris Kempes, Stephanie Dutkiewicz and Mick Follows have developed a mathematical model relating metabolic partitioning to the form of growth. The research is published in the Dec. 26 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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