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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 14-26 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications |
| Volume | 336 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| Early online date | 6 Feb 2004 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 May 2004 |
| Event | Proceedings of the XVIII Max Born Symposium at Statistical Physics - Ladek Zdroj, Poland Duration: 22 Sep 2003 → 25 Sep 2003 |
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Keywords
- Bacteria
- Biofilm
- Fractal
- Growth
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Mathematical Physics
- Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
Cite this
Cellular automaton for bacterial towers. / Indekeu, J. O. (Corresponding Author); Giuraniuc, C. V. (Corresponding Author).
In: Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Vol. 336, No. 1-2, 01.05.2004, p. 14-26.Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Cellular automaton for bacterial towers
AU - Indekeu, J. O.
AU - Giuraniuc, C. V.
N1 - This research was supported by the Flemish Programe FWO-G.0222.02 “Physical and interdisciplinary applications of novel fractal structures”. We thank Katarzyna Sznajd-Weron and Jan Żebrowski for useful discussions.
PY - 2004/5/1
Y1 - 2004/5/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Bacteria
KW - Biofilm
KW - Fractal
KW - Growth
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=1442284645&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.physa.2004.01.006
DO - 10.1016/j.physa.2004.01.006
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:1442284645
VL - 336
SP - 14
EP - 26
JO - Physica. A, Statistical Mechanics and its Applications
JF - Physica. A, Statistical Mechanics and its Applications
SN - 0378-4371
IS - 1-2
ER -