title: Bridging the divide: a model-data approach to Polar and Alpine microbiology.
abstract: Advances in microbial ecology in the cryosphere continue to be driven by empirical approaches including field sampling and laboratory-based analyses. Although mathematical models are commonly used to investigate the physical dynamics of Polar and Alpine regions, they are rarely applied in microbial studies. Yet integrating modelling approaches with ongoing observational and laboratory-based work is ideally suited to Polar and Alpine microbial ecosystems given their harsh environmental and biogeochemical characteristics, simple trophic structures, distinct seasonality, often difficult accessibility, geographical expansiveness and susceptibility to accelerated climate changes. In this opinion paper, we explain how mathematical modelling ideally complements field and laboratory-based analyses. We thus argue that mathematical modelling is a powerful tool for the investigation of these extreme environments and that fully integrated, interdisciplinary model-data approaches could help the Polar and Alpine microbiology community address some of the great research challenges of the 21st century (e.g. assessing global significance and response to climate change). However, a better integration of field and laboratory work with model design and calibration/validation, as well as a stronger focus on quantitative information is required to advance models that can be used to make predictions and upscale processes and fluxes beyond what can be captured by observations alone.
authors.affiliation: Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, BS8 1SS, UK BRIDGE, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, BS8 1SS, UK j.bradley@bristol.ac.uk.
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.affiliation: Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, BS8 1SS, UK.
authors.forename: Alexandre M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Anesio
authors.affiliation: BRIDGE, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, BS8 1SS, UK.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arndt
mesh_terms: D057231:Climate Change; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D008954:Models, Biological; D012988:Soil Microbiology
keywords: Polar and Alpine microbiology; interdisciplinary approach; model-data integration; models; quantitative methods
references.citation: Front Microbiol. 2012 Dec 05;3:403
references.pmid: 23227023
references.citation: PLoS One. 2014 Apr 04;9(4):e94076
references.pmid: 24705618
references.citation: Science. 2012 May 4;336(6081):576-8
references.pmid: 22556249
references.citation: Nature. 2013 May 9;497(7448):235-8
references.pmid: 23657350
references.citation: Nature. 2014 Oct 23;514(7523):478-81
references.pmid: 25341787
references.citation: J Biotechnol. 2012 Jul 31;160(1-2):17-24
references.pmid: 22465599
references.citation: Science. 2003 Sep 5;301(5638):1359-61
references.pmid: 12958355
references.citation: Front Microbiol. 2015 Jan 28;6:9
references.pmid: 25674080
references.citation: J Theor Biol. 2001 Jun 7;210(3):327-36
references.pmid: 11397133
references.citation: Nature. 2014 Aug 21;512(7514):310-3
references.pmid: 25143114
references.citation: FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2012 Nov;82(2):303-15
references.pmid: 22404643
references.citation: Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2012 Jun;23(3):431-6
references.pmid: 22154467
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005 Oct;71(10):5710-8
references.pmid: 16204479
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2008 Dec 22;275(1653):2793-802
references.pmid: 18755677
references.citation: Microb Ecol. 2012 May;63(4):883-97
references.pmid: 22193925
references.citation: Nature. 2013 Jun 6;498(7452):51-9
references.pmid: 23739423
references.citation: FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2014 Aug;89(2):402-14
references.pmid: 24920320
references.citation: PLoS One. 2015 May 18;10 (5):e0126739
references.pmid: 25992959
references.citation: Front Microbiol. 2015 Apr 20;6:307
references.pmid: 25941518
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2004 Nov;70(11):6706-13
references.pmid: 15528537
references.citation: Microb Ecol. 2011 Apr;61(3):543-56
references.pmid: 21153024
references.citation: PLoS One. 2011;6(12):e28900
references.pmid: 22216139
references.citation: ISME J. 2011 Sep;5(9):1414-25
references.pmid: 21430787
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Feb 4;111(5):1879-84
references.pmid: 24449851
references.citation: Trends Ecol Evol. 2004 Apr;19(4):189-97
references.pmid: 16701253
references.citation: Nat Rev Microbiol. 2010 Feb;8(2):129-38
references.pmid: 20075927
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2014 Nov 22;281(1795):null
references.pmid: 25274358
references.citation: Nat Rev Microbiol. 2015 Nov;13(11):677-90
references.pmid: 26344407
references.citation: Front Microbiol. 2015 Sep 30;6:1058
references.pmid: 26483777
references.citation: J Appl Microbiol. 2001 Mar;90(3):407-13
references.pmid: 11298236
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2010 Jul;76(14):4788-96
references.pmid: 20525872
references.citation: Trends Ecol Evol. 2012 Apr;27(4):219-25
references.pmid: 22000675
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2004 May;70(5):2867-79
references.pmid: 15128545
references.citation: Nature. 2012 Aug 30;488(7413):633-7
references.pmid: 22932387
references.citation: Int J Food Microbiol. 2002 Mar;73(2-3):203-6
references.pmid: 11934028
references.citation: ISME J. 2012 Jan;6(1):11-20
references.pmid: 21716307
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 May 31;108(22):8978-83
references.pmid: 21576500
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Mar 17;112(11):E1326-32
references.pmid: 25733885
references.citation: Nature. 2015 May 14;521(7551):208-12
references.pmid: 25739499
references.citation: ISME J. 2012 Dec;6(12):2302-13
references.pmid: 23018772
references.citation: Nature. 2014 Sep 4;513(7516):81-4
references.pmid: 25186902
references.citation: J Food Sci. 2010 Mar;75(2):R59-70
references.pmid: 20492253
references.citation: Microb Ecol. 2014 Jan;67(1):120-8
references.pmid: 24121801
references.citation: Extremophiles. 2015 Jan;19(1):1-15
references.pmid: 25381577
references.citation: Nat Commun. 2015 Apr 28;6:6831
references.pmid: 25919365
references.citation: PLoS One. 2013 Dec 03;8(12):e77917
references.pmid: 24312442
references.citation: Front Microbiol. 2016 Feb 16;7:16
references.pmid: 26909068
references.citation: Biology (Basel). 2013 Feb 05;2(1):317-30
references.pmid: 24832663