Ever since biologists began studying the ecology and evolution of
infectious diseases (EEID), laboratory-based ‘model systems’ have been
important for developing and testing theory. Yet what EEID researchers
mean by ‘model systems’ and what they want from them remains to be
clearly delineated. This uncertainty holds back our ability to maximally
exploit these systems, identify knowledge gaps, and establish effective
new model systems. Here, we borrow a definition of model systems from
the biomolecular sciences to assess how EEID researchers are (and are
not) using ten key model systems. According to this definition, model
systems in EEID are not being used to their fullest and, in fact, cannot
even be considered to be model systems. Research using these systems
consistently addresses only two of the three fundamental processes that
underlie disease dynamics-transmission and disease, but not recovery.
Further, studies tend to focus on only a few of the scales of biological
organization that matter for disease ecology and evolution. Moreover,
the field lacks an infrastructure to perform comparative analyses. We
aim to begin a discussion of what we want from model systems, which
would further progress toward a thorough, holistic understanding of
EEID.
The use and underuse of model systems in infectious disease ecology & evolution.
