Lecturer: Bas Kooijman
Affiliation: Dept Theoretical Biology, VU University Amsterdam
Seminar: Dept Zoology, Melbourne University.
Date: 2012/08/07
Title: From embryos to senescence with Dynamic Energy Budget theory for metabolic organisation

Abstract:
Metabolic organization of individual organisms is basic to life. 
DEB theory aims to formalise the rules of uptake (feeding, assimilation) and use (maintenance, growth, reproduction, development, ageing) of substrates that all organisms seem to share. 
The rules are simple, quantitative and cover the full life cycle of organisms (embryo, juvenile, adult). 
They follow from basic physical and chemical principles and fully exploit conservation laws (energy, mass, time, isotopes). 
DEB theory is based on a number of homeostasis concepts, that allow for particular nutrition-related changes in chemical composition of biomass, while fully respecting stoichiometric constraints.

I will give an introduction to DEB theory and illustrate its application with some examples.

Contents:
1) tasks of theories on energy budgets
2) pillars of DEB theory
3) the standard DEB model in a nutshell
4) why DEB theory is the best tested quantitative theory in biology
5) from curve-fitting to theory
6) the significance of surface area - volume ratios for energetics
7) selection affects parameter values
8) causes for the difference between altricial and precocial respiration patterns in embryos
9) yolky eggs prepare for metabolic acceleration after birth
10) developmental staging on the basis of maturity levels
11) trait off between maturation and growth
12) ageing and its acceleration: Weibull versus Gompertz
13) effects of energetics on ageing
14) why life span increases with body size in endotherms, but not in ecotherms

Reference:
  http://www.bio.vu.nl/thb/research/bib/Kooy2012.pdf