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Shape, shear, search & strife; mathematical models of bacteria

形状、剪切、搜索

基本信息

批准号：
EP/S033211/1
负责人：
Rachel Bearon
金额：
$ 46.09万
依托单位：
University of Liverpool
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2020
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2020 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FS033211%2F1
关键词：
Shape shear search strife mathematical

项目摘要

This project aims to develop an integrated mathematical model to explore the early stages of bacterial biofilm formation. The project requires the development of new mathematical models that can correctly capture details of how bacteria move in fluid environments and colonize surfaces. Furthermore, recent experiments on surface-attached bacteria have identified new movement patterns that are not currently captured in existing mathematical models. We will, therefore, be undertaking mathematical research to tackle the important societal and economic challenge of biofilms. The resulting new mathematical models and techniques will also be of relevance to many other phenomena concerning active particles that can transition between existing in the bulk fluid and being attached to a surface. Bacteria are among the most primitive forms of life. Yet, despite their relative simplicity and small size, bacteria can actively sense a remarkable diversity of different environmental signals, and use this information to direct their motility towards more favourable environments. This ability to move profoundly affects where we expect to find bacteria. It is important to study biofilms because during bacterial infection the emergence of anti-microbial resistance frequently occurs within biofilms; and combatting bacterial infections in a major health challenge. Furthermore biofilms have impact beyond health: a study by the National Biofilm Innovation Centre estimated that biofilms act on a $4 trillion global industrial base operating across many sectors, including contamination of food and water supplies, disruption of oil and gas and biofouling in marine environments, and also benefitting waste-water treatment processes, biorefining and biotechnology.Many factors affect how biofilms form. In this project we focus on the very early stages of biofilm formation where the behaviour of cells, in particular the way in which they move and compete with each other, can profoundly impact what happens in the later stages. By developing a mathematical framework, we will clarify the complexity of the problem, and be able to test biological hypothesis concerning how different bacterial species compete and colonize surfaces. The ability of bacteria to swim and move up chemical gradients (chemotaxis) has been well-known for several decades. However we still cannot fully predict where the bacteria are, and how likely they are to encounter a surface, in flow environments such as the digestive tract or circulatory system. This is the challenge we address in our first objective (shape & shear). It has recently been discovered that some surface-attached bacteria can undergo chemotaxis, and our second objective (search) aims to develop a new model to explain the mechanisms for this and develop a model which can predict where bacteria will accumulate on a surface. Our final objective (strife) will investigate how bacterial strains with different growth and motility signatures compete, either indirectly through competition for resources, or directly for example through toxin production. By developing a mathematical model of this we can investigate the early spatial patterning of bacteria on a surface, which will impact the composition of resultant biofilms.

该项目旨在开发一个综合的数学模型来探索细菌生物膜形成的早期阶段。该项目需要开发新的数学模型，能够正确地捕捉细菌如何在流体环境中移动和在表面定居的细节。此外，最近对表面附着细菌的实验发现了新的运动模式，这些模式目前没有在现有的数学模型中捕捉到。因此，我们将进行数学研究，以应对生物膜这一重要的社会和经济挑战。由此产生的新的数学模型和技术也将与许多其他有关活性粒子的现象相关，这些活性粒子可以在存在于主体流体中和附着在表面之间转换。细菌是最原始的生命形式之一。然而，尽管细菌相对简单且体积较小，但它们可以主动感觉到不同环境信号的显著多样性，并利用这些信息将它们的运动引向更有利的环境。这种移动的能力深刻地影响了我们预期发现细菌的地方。研究生物膜很重要，因为在细菌感染期间，生物膜内经常会出现抗菌素耐药性；在重大的健康挑战中与细菌感染作斗争。此外，生物膜具有健康以外的影响：国家生物膜创新中心的一项研究估计，生物膜作用于一个价值4万亿美元的全球工业基地，涉及许多部门，包括食品和水供应的污染、石油和天然气的破坏以及海洋环境中的生物污染，还有利于废水处理过程、生物精炼和生物技术。许多因素影响生物膜的形成。在这个项目中，我们专注于生物膜形成的非常早期阶段，在这个阶段，细胞的行为，特别是它们移动和相互竞争的方式，可以深刻地影响后期发生的事情。通过开发一个数学框架，我们将澄清问题的复杂性，并能够检验关于不同细菌物种如何竞争和在表面定居的生物学假说。几十年来，细菌游泳和向上移动化学梯度(趋化性)的能力一直是众所周知的。然而，我们仍然不能完全预测细菌在哪里，以及它们在消化道或循环系统等流动环境中遇到表面的可能性有多大。这是我们在第一个目标(形状和剪切)中应对的挑战。最近发现一些附着在表面的细菌可以进行趋化，我们的第二个目标(搜索)旨在开发一个新的模型来解释这一机制，并开发一个可以预测细菌将在表面积累的位置的模型。我们的最终目标(冲突)将调查具有不同生长和运动特征的细菌菌株如何竞争，或者间接地通过竞争资源，或者直接例如通过产生毒素。通过建立一个数学模型，我们可以研究细菌在表面上的早期空间图案，这将影响所产生的生物膜的组成。