چکیده (انگلیسی):

Modelling cellular metabolism is a strategic factor in investigating microbial behaviour and interactions, especially
for bio-technological processes. A key factor for modelling microbial activity is the calculation of nutrient
amounts and products generated as a result of the microbial metabolism. Representing metabolic pathways
through balanced reactions is a complex and time-consuming task for biologists, ecologists, modellers and engineers.
A newcomputational tool to represent microbial pathways through microbial metabolic reactions(MMRs)
using the approach of the Thermodynamic Electron Equivalents Model has been designed and implemented in
the open-access framework NetLogo. This computational tool, calledMbT-Tool(Metabolismbased on Thermodynamics)
can write MMRs for different microbial functional groups, such as aerobic heterotrophs, nitrifiers, denitrifiers,
methanogens, sulphate reducers, sulphide oxidizers and fermenters. The MbT-Tool's code contains
eighteen organic and twenty inorganic reduction-half-reactions, fourN-sources (NH4
+, NO3
−, NO2
−, N2) to biomass
synthesis and twenty-four microbialempirical formulas, one ofwhich can be determined by the user (CnHaObNc).
MbT-Tool is an open-source program capable of writing MMRs based on thermodynamic concepts, which are
applicable in a wide range of academic research interested in designing, optimizing and modelling microbial
activity without any extensive chemical, microbiological and programing experience.