Team:Uniandes Colombia/DryLab

iGEM Uniandes-Colombia

Mathematical Models



We use a mathematical model to check if the design works before starting to work at the laboratory, or improve the response of the original construct. To develop this model, the first step was to create a deterministic model, which was based on differential equations. This type of model describes the mean behavior for each of the substances in the synthetic circuit over time. However, it does not take into account the probabilities involved in each of the events described, the population interactions or the noise of the system.

The deterministic model is based on the law of mass conservation and expresses the inputs and outputs of the system with expressions that use the law of mass action and known models like Hill's or Michaelis Menten.However, we only have a model that shows a response that does not take into account the stochasticity of Nature. That's why did a second simulation: The stochastic Model. You are very welcome to check it all.





Differential equations



Synechococcus elongatus



$$ \frac{dXI}{dt}=a_{s}+\frac{b_{s}*CL^{n_{s}}}{CL^{n_{s}+k_{s}^{n_{s}}}}-g_{XI}*XI$$ $$ \frac{dLI}{dt}=a_{s}+\frac{b_{s}*CL^{n_{s}}}{CL^{n_{s}+k_{s}^{n_{s}}}}-g_{LI}*LI$$ $$ \frac{dEA_{i}}{dt}=a_{L}+\frac{b_{s}}{1+(\frac{LI}{k_{L}})^{n_{L}}}-g_{LI}*LI$$

Shewanella



$$\frac{dXR}{dt}=a-b_{XR}*XR*A-g_{XR}*XR+d_{XRa}*XRa$$ $$\frac{dXRa}{dt}=b_{XR}*XR*A-g_{XRa}*XRa+d_{XR}*XRa$$ $$\frac{dCY}{dt}=a_{X}+k_{c}*XR*A-g_{CY}*XR$$

Parameters



The parameters used in our simulation can be found in the table below:



Tablaparcol.png

Deterministic model



Synechococcus elongatus



Cyanodet.png

Shewanella oneidensis



Shdef.png





Stochastic model

Until now, all we have is a deterministic model of our system. This model takes into account exact concentrations of molecules as the variables in the differential equations. This means that all the calculations were made taking into account the mean values of the concentrations of particles.

Although this is a good approach, modelling the biological processes as random, stochastic events reflects a more accurate version of reality.

The following passage by physicist Daniel Gillespie provides some insight on this claim:

“…For “ordinary” chemical systems in which fluctuations and correlations play no significant role, the method stands as an alternative to the traditional procedure of numerically solving the deterministic reaction rate equations. For nonlinear systems near chemical instabilities, where fluctuations and correlations may invalidate the deterministic equations, the method constitutes an efficient way of numerically examining the predictions of the stochastic master equation. Although fully equivalent to the spatially homogeneous master equation, the numerical…” (Gillespie 1976)

To tackle this problem, Daniel Gillespie designed the stochastic simulation algorithm. This method is particularly useful when reducing computational costs.

The algorithm is based on the reaction probability density function; a function that essentially dictates the amount of time that will pass between events such as the creation or degradation of a protein. This time interval is given by the equation:

$$\tau =\frac{1}{\sum n_{events}}*ln\left ( \frac{1}{random number} \right )$$

The algorithm is based on the reaction probability density function; a function that essentially dictates the amount of time that will pass between events such as the creation or degradation of a protein.

To determine which event will occur, a second random number from 0 to 1 is used. After the events are normalized, depending where in the range of the event normalization the random number falls, a particular event is chosen.

The following graphs display the outcome of the simulations for Synechococcus elongatus and Shewanella oneidensis.



Synechococcus elongatus

Cyano.png
Figure 1


Shewanella oneidensis

ShewanellaestocasbX40.png
Figure 2

Scripting



Deterministic Model



Synechococcus elongatus

Shewanella onediensis



Stochastic Model



Synechococcus elongatus



Shewanella oneidensis

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