Séminaire Biophysique. Markus Covert (Stanford, USA)

Markus Covert, Stanford, USA

Accelerated discovery via a whole cell model of Mycoplasma genitalium

Whole-cell modeling promises to accelerate biological discovery by prioritizing future experiments based on existing datasets. However, this promise has never been tested. To assess the ability of whole-cell models to make novel and correct predictions, we used a recently developed whole-cell model of Mycoplasma genitalium to determine quantitative specific growth rates for all of the single-gene disruption strains, and then compared simulations to new experimental measurements obtained in our laboratory. These comparisons resulted in a comprehensive map of the consistencies and discrepancies between model predictions and experimental observations that covered the entire genome. Further detailed analysis of the discrepancies between simulated and experimental results led to detailed, quantitative model predictions about specific kinetic parameters that had never been previously measured. Our subsequent measurements of these kinetic values corresponded strikingly with the model’s predictions. We conclude that whole-cell modeling can make accurate, quantitative predictions about previously unmeasured biological properties, and thereby accelerate biological discovery.

Séminaire de Biophysique ENS-ESPCI :

Organisation Team
ESPCI : Olivia DU ROURE (PMMH), Clément NIZAK (Lab. Biochimie)
ENS : Nicolas DESPRAT (LPS), Thierry MORA (LPS)
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