The Influence of Fluid Flow on Modeling Quorum Sensing in Bacterial Biofilms

Benjamin L. Vaughan; Bryan G. Smith; David L. Chopp

doi:10.1007/s11538-009-9485-8

The Influence of Fluid Flow on Modeling Quorum Sensing in Bacterial Biofilms

Benjamin L. Vaughan, Bryan G. Smith, David L. Chopp

Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this paper, we study quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Quorum sensing is a process where bacteria monitor their population density through the release of extra-cellular signalling molecules. The presence of these molecules affects gene modulation leading to changes in behaviour such as the release of virulence factors. Here, we use numerical methods to approximate a 2-D model of quorum sensing. It is observed that the shape of the biofilm can have a profound effect on the onset of quorum sensing. This has serious repercussions for experimental observations since biofilms of the same biomass but different shapes can produce quite different results.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1143-1165
Number of pages	23
Journal	Bulletin of Mathematical Biology
Volume	72
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11538-009-9485-8
State	Published - Jul 2010

Funding

The work by B.L.V. and D.L.C. work was supported in part by a grant from the NIH under contract #R01-GM067248. The work by B.G.S. was supported in part by the DoD NDSEG Fellowship Program and the Chicago Chapter of the ARCS Foundation.

Keywords

Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms
Quorum sensing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Environmental Science
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Neuroscience
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Pharmacology
Computational Theory and Mathematics
Immunology
General Mathematics

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10.1007/s11538-009-9485-8

Cite this

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abstract = "In this paper, we study quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Quorum sensing is a process where bacteria monitor their population density through the release of extra-cellular signalling molecules. The presence of these molecules affects gene modulation leading to changes in behaviour such as the release of virulence factors. Here, we use numerical methods to approximate a 2-D model of quorum sensing. It is observed that the shape of the biofilm can have a profound effect on the onset of quorum sensing. This has serious repercussions for experimental observations since biofilms of the same biomass but different shapes can produce quite different results.",

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The Influence of Fluid Flow on Modeling Quorum Sensing in Bacterial Biofilms

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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