Predicting metabolic evolution in the minimal cell (A04)

• Subject Area: Evolutionary Cell and Developmental Biology (Zoology)
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 325931972

How repeatable and predictable is evolution at the cellular systems level? We address this question using the simplest accessible model system: a minimal bacterial cell with only 473 genes. We will evolve hundreds of cell populations in the CRC’s robotic system, measuring changes in growth, protein levels, and metabolism. We will build a model of cell metabolism with AI-powered inference of rate constants and compare the in vivo evolution with model predictions. This project may yield a proof of principle for predicting systems-level evolution from physical, biochemical, and mutational constraints.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1310: Predictability in Evolution
• Applicant Institution: Universität zu Köln
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Martin Lercher; Dr. Tin Yau Pang, until 12/2021