Abstract

Mathematical modelling: a question of scale

The study of the growth of filamentous fungi can be difficult through experimental means alone due to the heterogeneity of their natural growth habitat (e.g. soils) and the range of scales associated with growth and function (e.g. tip vesicle translocation through hyphal tip extension to colony expansion). Mathematical modelling provides a complimentary, powerful and efficient method of investigating fungal growth particularly in heterogeneous environments.

We outline the basic processes which go into the construction of mathematical models and discuss our model in the context of other work in this area. Model predictions are compared to experimentally- obtained data, and predictions regarding the complex interaction between the developing mycelium and its environment are made.