Simulates the collective movement of bacteria

Biofilms form
when microorganisms, such as certain types of bacteria, attach to surfaces in a humid environment and begin to multiply, causing a slimy, glue-like substance to be discharged.

Not only are these biofilms unpleasant, but they can cause serious trouble
.
For example, in the medical field, the formation of biofilms can reduce the effectiveness
of antibiotic treatment.
The key to understanding biomass formation lies in understanding the overall behavior
of bacteria.

In a new EPJE paper published in Germany, researcher Davide Breoni and his co-authors propose a mathematical model of bacterial motility that includes cell division and death, the basic components of
the cell cycle.

The team developed a mathematical model of bacterial motility processes, establishing a link
between statistical physics and biophysics.

"Our new model belongs to the category of 'active substances' and is currently of great interest in statistical physics," Breoni said
.
"This field studies the collective properties of particle systems that have their own energy source – bacteria are a prime example
.
"

The model devised by the team surprisingly shows that bacteria can act as a whole
when it comes to movement.

"In the course of our study, we found that the model predicts that bacterial colony formation can occur through the accumulation of travel waves, concentrated bacterial 'wraps'," Breoni added
.
"We didn't expect a simple model like ours to produce such results
.
"

He thinks the results should be interesting
to the general public who may be aware of colonies, but not how they move en masse.

Breoni concluded by noting that this is a very simple model that shows how research can start
here.
"We can try to make the model more realistic and experiment with the results to test its predictions
," he said.
"On the other hand, this study is largely curiosity-driven and the result of intense discussions among researchers – we want to maintain this approach so we can continue to surprise
ourselves with our findings.
"

Journal Reference:

1. Davide Breoni, Fabian Jan Schwarzendahl, Ralf Blossey, Hartmut Lö wen.
   A one-dimensional three-state run-and-tumble model with a ‘ cell cycle’.
   The European Physical Journal E, 2022; 45 (10) DOI: 10.
   1140/epje/s10189-022-00238-7