Microbes, Mathematics, And The Practice Of Modeling

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Microbial models hold a special place in biology, where they are often used instead of larger organismal systems to understand evolution and ecology. This symposium investigates whether microorganismal models also have special philosophical features by examining a range of modelling practices in microbial ecology and evolution. Importantly for this symposium, the microbial models that form its cases are all used in conjunction with mathematical and computational models. The interaction between these living material models and abstract equations or algorithms is a central aspect of microbial modelling now and in the past. We address the dynamics and structure of these interactions in order to cast light more generally on modelling practice, philosophy of modelling and scientific practice. In the process, we also illuminate the special values of microbial model systems and compare them to other organismal model systems.

Biology Symposium

04 Nov 2018 09:00 AM - 11:45 AM(America/Los_Angeles)

Venue : Seneca (Fourth Floor Union Street Tower)

20181104T0900 20181104T1145 America/Los_Angeles Microbes, Mathematics, and the Practice of Modeling Microbial models hold a special place in biology, where they are often used instead of larger organismal systems to understand evolution and ecology. This symposium investigates whether microorganismal models also have special philosophical features by examining a range of modelling practices in microbial ecology and evolution. Importantly for this symposium, the microbial models that form its cases are all used in conjunction with mathematical and computational models. The interaction between these living material models and abstract equations or algorithms is a central aspect of microbial modelling now and in the past. We address the dynamics and structure of these interactions in order to cast light more generally on modelling practice, philosophy of modelling and scientific practice. In the process, we also illuminate the special values of microbial model systems and compare them to other organismal model systems. Seneca (Fourth Floor Union Street Tower) PSA2018: The 26th Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association office@philsci.org

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Presentations

Exploratory Microbial Models

Philosophy of Science 09:00 AM - 09:30 AM (America/Los_Angeles) 2018/11/04 17:00:00 UTC - 2018/11/04 17:30:00 UTC

Emily Parke (University of Auckland)
Microbial model systems are often productively studied in complex interaction and iteration with mathematical and other models. These sorts of studies do not fit neatly into either of two traditional categories of scientific inquiry, hypothesis-testing or exploratory experiments, as they are currently characterized in the literature. The ways in which they fail to fit are revealing of how different modes of scientific practice interact. Drawing on cases where microbial models are updated and re-evaluated in light of insights from other models (and vice versa), I suggest some revisions to the traditional categories of hypothesis testing and exploration.

Presenters

Testing One Model with Another: Foreground and Background Interactions in Model Construction and Revision

Philosophy of Science 09:30 AM - 10:00 AM (America/Los_Angeles) 2018/11/04 17:30:00 UTC - 2018/11/04 18:00:00 UTC

Ben Kerr
I develop new aspects of the interaction between model types, showing how computational models can be 'tested' by experimental microbial model systems. To demonstrate how this works, I propose a framework of 'foreground' and 'background' features of models. In my case study of diversity maintenance in microbial ecosystems, a computational model with specific foreground features was tested against a microbial model. The latter's background features had to be incorporated into the simulation as foreground aspects to make its predictions effective. This modelling dynamic enriches philosophical accounts of model testing and analysis.

Presenters

Toy Models: Using Lego And Microorganisms to Understand the Coevolution of Mutualism

Philosophy of Science 10:15 AM - 10:45 AM (America/Los_Angeles) 2018/11/04 18:15:00 UTC - 2018/11/04 18:45:00 UTC

Kristina Hillesland
I describe the way I have used both actual toys (lego bricks) and microbes as toy models to explore a topic in evolutionary biology that has had scant theoretical development: the early stages of coevolution of a microbial mutualism. Together these models generate insights that appear to be generalizable to systems that are not microorganismal. I discuss toy models in general, then reflect on the use of microorganisms as living experimental toy models. I focus on why these findings may be generalizable, and how using two forms of toy model sequentially can help to ensure such generalizability.

Presenters

Why Bacterial Model Systems? From Practical to Epistemic Tractability

Philosophy of Science 10:45 AM - 11:15 AM (America/Los_Angeles) 2018/11/04 18:45:00 UTC - 2018/11/04 19:15:00 UTC

Maureen O'Malley (University of Sydney)
I focus on elucidating the special features bacterial model systems have over other organismal model systems. These features go beyond merely practical advantages, such as small size and fast generation time, to something Parke and I call 'epistemic' tractability. This form of tractability is particularly concerned with how microbial models have similar properties to mathematical and computational models. I will demonstrate how bacteria can function both as quantified equations and iterative algorithms. Going even further, I will also suggest that bacterial model systems are valuable for philosophical models of basic life processes, and show how this would work.

Presenters

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