Transport of Chemical Through Fungal Networks
Start Date
August 2025
End Date
August 2025
Location
ALT 304
Abstract
Transport of Chemical Through Fungal Networks
Mycorrhizal fungal networks form between the roots of different plants, allowing for the formation of a connection between these plants. MATLAB code was used to simulate the growth of these fungal networks as well as to keep track of the chemical being transported through this network. Specifically, this code provides a virtual model of the singular fungal network connecting the roots of a tomato plant and the roots of a cactus plant in the same soil. This model allows for it to be determined if the fungal network is actively transporting the chemical introduced to the system, or if transportation of the chemical occurs inactively. The chemical looked at in this simulation was considered internal when inside the plant root and external when it had exited the root into the surrounding environment. Differing half-life values and calculations for the chemical were incorporated into the code for each of the three environments where external chemical amounts are being studied: air, water, and soil. Additionally, by varying the half-life, differences in the internal chemical amount in the hyphae can also be tracked. This analysis allowed for differentiation between the environments in this experiment and a more realistic half-life model to be presented.
Keywords: Mycorrhizal fungal networks, MATLAB code, half-life, model
Transport of Chemical Through Fungal Networks
ALT 304
Transport of Chemical Through Fungal Networks
Mycorrhizal fungal networks form between the roots of different plants, allowing for the formation of a connection between these plants. MATLAB code was used to simulate the growth of these fungal networks as well as to keep track of the chemical being transported through this network. Specifically, this code provides a virtual model of the singular fungal network connecting the roots of a tomato plant and the roots of a cactus plant in the same soil. This model allows for it to be determined if the fungal network is actively transporting the chemical introduced to the system, or if transportation of the chemical occurs inactively. The chemical looked at in this simulation was considered internal when inside the plant root and external when it had exited the root into the surrounding environment. Differing half-life values and calculations for the chemical were incorporated into the code for each of the three environments where external chemical amounts are being studied: air, water, and soil. Additionally, by varying the half-life, differences in the internal chemical amount in the hyphae can also be tracked. This analysis allowed for differentiation between the environments in this experiment and a more realistic half-life model to be presented.
Keywords: Mycorrhizal fungal networks, MATLAB code, half-life, model
