Controlling Information Propagation in Biofilms with Molecular Communication - 1=Biomaterials and tissue engineering - 2 = Engineering

通过分子通讯控制生物膜中的信息传播 - 1=生物材料和组织工程 - 2=工程

• 批准号: 2199294
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Warwick
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2019 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2199294
• 关键词: Controlling; Information; Propagation; Biofilms; Molecular

Context: We have begun to recognize bacteria as not strictly unicellular organisms but also having complex coordinated adaptability to environmental conditions. Localised colonies of bacteria have the capacity of a multicellular organization and cellular differentiation. One common structure is the biofilm, which is a hindrance in some circumstances (e.g., medicine) but could be beneficial in others (e.g., microbial fuel cells, waste remediation). While biofilms have the resilience to external threats, they maintain sophisticated internal structures that likely facilitate coordinated behaviour and information sharing. The use of these structures as communication channels is not well understood, but provide opportunities to model the propagation of information and control how effectively this can be done.Aims:This project aims to introduce a communication theoretic approach to the understanding and control of internal biofilm signalling.Objectives:1) Develop a mathematical model of how molecular signals propagate in embedded biofilm channels.2) Develop a communication model to quantify the reliable information throughput of biofilm channels.3) Design strategies to control biofilm efficacy by disrupting or enhancing biofilm communication channels.4) Validation of the physical modelling with wet lab imaging of biofilm channels.Novelty of Methodology:A communication-centric model for biofilm channels does not yet exist. We will develop novel physical system models of increasing complexity, based on existing images of biofilm channels. Simplifications of the channel geometry will enable the application of existing signal propagation models and results developed for idealised molecular communication systems, such that we can describe the statistics of an end-to-end channel as an aggregation of simplified systems. The new end-to-end channel model will enable corresponding communications analysis, where we propose realistic signalling schemes and then describe the likelihood of successful information transfer. Once we develop an understanding and intuition about the communication capability of biofilm channels, we will be able to identify where the system is most sensitive to parameter perturbations. This will enable us to predict suitable strategies to control biofilm signalling and design experiments for physical validation.

内容：我们已经开始认识到细菌并不是严格意义上的单细胞生物，它们对环境条件也有着复杂的协调适应性。细菌的局部菌落具有多细胞组织和细胞分化的能力。一种常见的结构是生物膜，其在某些情况下是障碍（例如，医学）但在其它方面可能是有益的（例如，微生物燃料电池、废物处理）。虽然生物膜对外部威胁具有弹性，但它们保持着复杂的内部结构，这可能有助于协调行为和信息共享。使用这些结构作为通信渠道还没有得到很好的理解，但提供了机会，以模拟信息的传播和控制如何有效地做到这一点。目的：本项目旨在介绍一个通信理论的方法来理解和控制内部生物膜信号。目的：1）开发分子信号如何在嵌入的生物膜通道中传播的数学模型。2）开发通信模型以量化生物膜通道的可靠信息通量。3）设计通过破坏或增强生物膜通讯通道来控制生物膜功效的策略。4）用生物膜通道的湿实验室成像验证物理建模。方法学的新奇：生物膜通道的通讯中心模型尚不存在。我们将开发新的物理系统模型的复杂性不断增加，基于现有的图像的生物膜通道。通道几何形状的简化将使现有的信号传播模型和结果开发的理想化的分子通信系统的应用，这样我们就可以描述的统计数据的端到端的通道作为一个简化的系统的聚合。新的端到端的信道模型将使相应的通信分析，我们提出了现实的信令方案，然后描述成功的信息传输的可能性。一旦我们对生物膜通道的通信能力有了理解和直觉，我们将能够确定系统对参数扰动最敏感的位置。这将使我们能够预测控制生物膜信号传导的合适策略，并设计物理验证实验。