Modeling Quorum Sensing in Bacterial Biofilms

Abstract

Bacterial biofilms may be the most common form of life on the planet.  Nearly all fluid/solid interfaces host some form of biofilm.  Some biofilms are beneficial, and others are destructive.  There is much yet to be learned about the aggregation of cells, and their subsequent differentiation into structured biofilms.  Some biofilms are able to monitor their local population density, and control their group behavior through the use of signal molecules.  When a threshold concentration of the signal in the biofilm is reached (called quorum sensing), the population may change behavior in a fundamental way.  In this talk, we will explore a mathematical description of quorum sensing.  The model will be tied to experiments on the bacterium P. aeruginosa, which is the most common form of infection for people with cystic fibrosis.  We will use the model to predict the onset of quorum sensing, which is the trigger for P. aeruginosa to become virulent.