Multi-scale modelling of calcification in scleractinian corals
Multi-scale modelling of calcification in scleractinian corals
The project is financed by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, NWO, research program Computational Life Sciences. The project is a collaboration with the research groups from Prof. R.P.M. Bak (Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) and Prof. D.J. Miller (James Cook University, Australia The central research question we propose to investigate in this project is to characterize the genes that control the differences in coral morphology for related coral species. We do this by a quantitative comparison of gene expression patterns. We especially focus on genes involved in the process of calcification. To test the hypothesis that these genes can explain the differences in morphology, we plan to use the estimated quantities in a simulated network controlling calcification. We want to study the emergence of the micro-morphology structure and link gene expression patterns to the corallite structure. This polyp (corallite) based model will be coupled with a macroscopic growth form model describing Ca2+ and HCO3- fluxes from the environment. A better understanding of calcification in corals is of fundamental importance in research on the potentially detrimental impact of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, reducing ocean pH and carbonate ion concentrations on the calcification process in corals and other calcifying organisms.
NWO
SCS colloquium: N. Javaheri
De rekenregels van de natuur
