Linking hyphal growth to colony dynamics: Spatially explicit models of mycelia

The processes responsible for the growth of fungal mycelia act over a vast range of spatial scales; while nutrient uptake occurs at the molecular level, the fungal colony can expand by the order of centimetres each day. Although experiments can provide exceptionally detailed information on processes at specific scales, it can be difficult to relate those processes between different spatial scales. In this article a series of mathematical models are described that link the different spatial scales found within a mycelium. The models are all closely related to each other and are applied to a range of growth environments, and the advantages and limitations of each modelling approach are discussed.