dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaCellular automaton for bacterial towers
| Authors | J. O. Indekeu, C. V. Giuraniuc |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | q-bio/0311035 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0311035 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.physa.2004.01.006 |
| Journal | Physica A 336, 14-26 (2004) |
Abstract
A simulation approach to the stochastic growth of bacterial towers is presented, in which a non-uniform and finite nutrient supply essentially determines the emerging structure through elementary chemotaxis. The method is based on cellular automata and we use simple, microscopic, local rules for bacterial division in nutrient-rich surroundings. Stochastic nutrient diffusion, while not crucial to the dynamics of the total population, is influential in determining the porosity of the bacterial tower and the roughness of its surface. As the bacteria run out of food, we observe an exponentially rapid saturation to a carrying capacity distribution, similar in many respects to that found in a recently proposed phenomenological hierarchical population model, which uses heuristic parameters and macroscopic rules. Complementary to that phenomenological model, the simulation aims at giving more microscopic insight into the possible mechanisms for one of the recently much studied bacterial morphotypes, known as "towering biofilm", observed experimentally using confocal laser microscopy. A simulation suggesting a mechanism for biofilm resistance to antibiotics is also shown.
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"abstract": "A simulation approach to the stochastic growth of bacterial towers is\npresented, in which a non-uniform and finite nutrient supply essentially\ndetermines the emerging structure through elementary chemotaxis. The method is\nbased on cellular automata and we use simple, microscopic, local rules for\nbacterial division in nutrient-rich surroundings. Stochastic nutrient\ndiffusion, while not crucial to the dynamics of the total population, is\ninfluential in determining the porosity of the bacterial tower and the\nroughness of its surface. As the bacteria run out of food, we observe an\nexponentially rapid saturation to a carrying capacity distribution, similar in\nmany respects to that found in a recently proposed phenomenological\nhierarchical population model, which uses heuristic parameters and macroscopic\nrules. Complementary to that phenomenological model, the simulation aims at\ngiving more microscopic insight into the possible mechanisms for one of the\nrecently much studied bacterial morphotypes, known as \"towering biofilm\",\nobserved experimentally using confocal laser microscopy. A simulation\nsuggesting a mechanism for biofilm resistance to antibiotics is also shown.",
"arxiv_id": "q-bio/0311035",
"authors": [
"J. O. Indekeu",
"C. V. Giuraniuc"
],
"categories": [
"q-bio.PE"
],
"doi": "10.1016/j.physa.2004.01.006",
"journal_ref": "Physica A 336, 14-26 (2004)",
"title": "Cellular automaton for bacterial towers",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0311035"
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