creators_name: Patnaik, P R
type: article
datestamp: 2012-01-06 14:56:46
lastmod: 2012-01-06 14:56:46
metadata_visibility: show
title: Are microbes intelligent beings?: An assessment of cybernetic modeling.
ispublished: pub
subjects: QR
full_text_status: restricted
keywords: Microbial growth; Metabolic modeling; Cybernetic modeling
note: Copyright of this article belongs to Elsevier Science.
abstract: Microorganisms growing in a multi-substrate medium have different and varying preferences for the various components of the medium. The preferences depend on the operating conditions and the substrates may be utilized sequentially or simultaneously. Sometimes an organism may change its preferences among substrates and/or switch between sequential and simultaneous utilization. These aspects are difficult to describe through models based on chemical and physical laws alone. Cybernetic modeling ascribes to microorganisms the ability to perceive their environment (i.e. the growth medium) and make 'intelligent' choices regarding substrate utilization to maximize an objective, which is usually the growth rate. This article reviews the development of cybernetic modeling since it began in 1982. Different workers have suggested different perspectives of how microbes make optimal use of their resources. These are discussed and future directions for improvement are indicated.
date: 2000-07
date_type: published
publication: Biotechnology advances
volume: 18
number: 4
publisher: Elsevier Science
pagerange: 267-88
refereed: TRUE
issn: 0734-9750
official_url: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0734975000000379
related_url_url: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0734975000000379
related_url_type: pub
citation:   Patnaik, P R  (2000) Are microbes intelligent beings?: An assessment of cybernetic modeling.  Biotechnology advances, 18 (4).  pp. 267-88.  ISSN 0734-9750     
document_url: http://crdd.osdd.net/open/230/1/patnaik2000.2.pdf