Computation Of Microbial Ecosystems in Time and Space (COMETS): An open source collaborative platform for modeling ecosystems metabolism

Abstract: Genome-scale stoichiometric modeling of metabolism has become a standard systems biology tool for modeling cellular physiology and growth. Extensions of this approach are also emerging as a valuable avenue for predicting, understanding and designing microbial communities. COMETS (Computation Of Microbial Ecosystems in Time and Space) was initially developed as an extension of dynamic flux balance analysis, which incorporates cellular and molecular diffusion, enabling simulations of multiple microbial species in spatially structured environments. Here we describe how to best use and apply the most recent version of this platform, COMETS 2, which incorporates a more accurate biophysical model of microbial biomass expansion upon growth, as well as several new biological simulation modules, including evolutionary dynamics and extracellular enzyme activity. COMETS 2 provides user-friendly Python and MATLAB interfaces compatible with the well-established COBRA models and methods, and comprehensive documentation and tutorials, facilitating the use of COMETS for researchers at all levels of expertise with metabolic simulations. This protocol provides a detailed guideline for installing, testing and applying COMETS 2 to different scenarios, with broad applicability to microbial communities across biomes and scales.