Modelling hyphal networks

The indeterminate growth habit of fungal mycelia can produce massive organisms spanning kilometres, whereas the hypha, the modular building block of these structures, is only a few microns in diameter. The qualitative and quantitative relationship between these scales is difficult to establish using experimental methods alone and a large number of mathematical models have been constructed to assist in the investigation of the multi-scale form and function of filamentous fungi. Many such models operate at the colony-scale, representing the hyphal network as either a regular lattice or as a geometrically-unconstrained structure that changes according to a minimal set of specified rules focussed on the fundamental processes responsible for growth and function. In this review we discuss the historical development and recent applications of such models and suggest some future directions.