Development and application of multi-organ up to whole-plant metabolic models
Plants have organs with specialised tissues, each of them fulfilling a specific function during the life of a plant. Our group is interested in understanding the complex metabolic interactions between these subsystems. As such we have started to reconstruct metabolic models of interacting cells, tissues and organs up to whole-plant metabolic models and we are currently in the course of integrating plant anatomical features into our metabolic models. In collaboration with the Szymanski group we have developed Plant-Ed - a strategy computer game for SciCom and teaching. The game is based on a realistic reconstruction of a whole-plant metabolic model and uses dynamic flux-balance analysis to allow the gamer to develop resource allocation strategies for optimal growth and survival.
Further reading and Game:
Daniel Koch. (2022) PlantEd: A game about growing plants and learning how. (Master Thesis) Konstanz, Hochschule Konstanz, Technik, Wirtschaft und Gestaltung
