“The discovery is a fundamental step toward a deeper understanding of the energetic principles governing all living systems”, says lead researcher Salvatore Calabrese, assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station. The article “Energetic scaling in microbial growth”, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides a new mathematical model for scientists to examine these metabolic processes in microorganisms. Energetic principles govern all living systems Microorganisms’ ability to use energy efficiently in various environmental conditions has consequences for the global climate and carbon cycle, and for biotechnological applications that could address global warming.
“Similar to engines, microorganisms lose efficiency when their metabolic rate increases”, says Stefano Manzoni, associate professor in Ecohydrology at Stockholm University, part of an international research team who recently published in the scientific magazine Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Combustion engines, in cars or power plants, lose efficiency when they run faster.
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