Optimal Defense Model

Vascular plants are known to induce a variety of phenotypic changes in response to damage, including changes in secondary metabolite concentrations. Induced plant responses may lead to increased resistance toward future herbivory if changes have 

Reference Species Order Treatment Dependent variable 

Van Alstyne 1988 Fucus distichus Fucales Simulated herbivory Phlorotannins 

Van Alstyne 1989 F. distichus Fucales Simulated herbivory Resistance Phlorotannins 

Renaud et al. 1990 Padina gymnospora Dictyotales Herbivory Resistance Resistance 

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Table 7.1 Published studies explicitly testing hypotheses derived from the Induced Defense Model, a corollary model to the Optimal Defense Model, concerning variation in the concentration of secondary metabolites or resistance to herbivores in different macroalgal species... 

The spatial-variation-in-consumers model (SVICM) was proposed by marine ecologists to explain both interspecific and intraspecific patterns of chemical defenses in seaweeds.111 It states that chemically defended seaweeds will be more evolutionarily persistent than undefended seaweeds in areas subject to significant herbivore impact. Likewise, this model explains intraspecifc variation in chemical defenses, in that well-defended individuals or populations will be more persistent over ecological time scales than undefended seaweeds in areas subject to significant herbivore impact. This model borrows heavily from the optimal defense theory, in that it suggests that seaweeds that occur in areas with high herbivory pressure will be vulnerable to herbivore attack and should thus be heavily defended. 

Bastian N. (2010). A robust, multi-criteria modeling approach for optimizing aeromedical evacuation asset emplacement. Journal of Defense Modeling and Simulation, 7(1) 5-23. 

Atomic Scattering Cross Sections Optimal Control Theory Ballistic Missile Defense Systems Polymer Modeling... 

Of course, the pharmaceutical industry is not the only sector in which process engineering is needed to enhance national security and homeland defense. Also, other areas of process engineering such as model development, optimization schemes, on-line control, catalyst development, new separation methods, biomass conversion, and models using multiple length scales are equally important to include in research efforts. 

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