Version 1
: Received: 13 May 2024 / Approved: 14 May 2024 / Online: 14 May 2024 (09:40:04 CEST)
How to cite:
Sole, R.; Maull, V.; Amor, D. R.; Pla Mauri, J.; Conde-Pueyo, N. Synthetic Ecosystems: From the Test Tube to the Biosphere. Preprints2024, 2024050946. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.0946.v1
Sole, R.; Maull, V.; Amor, D. R.; Pla Mauri, J.; Conde-Pueyo, N. Synthetic Ecosystems: From the Test Tube to the Biosphere. Preprints 2024, 2024050946. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.0946.v1
Sole, R.; Maull, V.; Amor, D. R.; Pla Mauri, J.; Conde-Pueyo, N. Synthetic Ecosystems: From the Test Tube to the Biosphere. Preprints2024, 2024050946. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.0946.v1
APA Style
Sole, R., Maull, V., Amor, D. R., Pla Mauri, J., & Conde-Pueyo, N. (2024). Synthetic Ecosystems: From the Test Tube to the Biosphere. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.0946.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Sole, R., Jordi Pla Mauri and Nuria Conde-Pueyo. 2024 "Synthetic Ecosystems: From the Test Tube to the Biosphere" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.0946.v1
Abstract
The study of ecosystems, both natural and artificial, has historically been mediated by population dynamics theories. In this framework, quantifying population numbers and related variables (associated with metabolism or biological-environmental interactions) plays a central role in measuring and predicting system-level properties. As we move towards advanced technological engineering of cells and organisms, the possibility of bioengineering ecosystems (from the gut microbiome to wildlands) opens several questions that will require quantitative models to find answers. Here, we present a comprehensive survey of quantitative modelling approaches for managing three kinds of synthetic ecosystems, sharing the presence of engineered strains. These include test tube examples of ecosystems hosting a relatively low number of interacting species, mesoscale closed ecosystems (or ecospheres), and macro-scale, engineered ecosystems. The potential outcomes of synthetic ecosystem designs and their limits will be relevant to different disciplines, including biomedical engineering, astrobiology, space exploration and fighting climate change impacts on endangered ecosystems. We propose a space of possible ecosystems that captures this broad range of scenarios and a tentative road map for open problems and further exploration.
Keywords
synthetic biology; ecological engineering; climate change; ecospheres; life support systems
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
