Control of heterogeneous microbial communities using model-based multi-objective optimization

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PROJECT SUMMARY The project addresses an important biomedical problem: how to control biofilms formed by Candida albicans, a dimorphic fungus that is an important cause of both topical and systemic fungal infection in humans, in particular immunocompromised patients. It is responsible for 85-95% of all vaginal infections resulting in doctor visits. C. albicans biofilms also form on the surface of implantable medical devices, and are a major cause of nosocomial infections. In recent years, it has been recognized that interactions with bacterial species integrated into biofilms can affect C. albicans virulence and other properties, It is therefore important to understand the interactions of C. albicans with bacterial species, in particular metabolic interactions. The next step then is to understand and, ultimately, control how varying compositions of the different microbial species affect their metabolic state and their ability to form biofilms. This project approaches the problem through model-based design of optimal compositions of the bacterial species for control of fungal growth. This will be accomplished through a combination of the construction of a novel computational model of a heterogeneous biofilm consisting of bacterial as well as fungal species, and novel mathematical tools for dimension reduction and optimization. The outcome of the project will be a better understanding of the relationship between bacterial and fungal species in a biofilm and its therapeutic potential through the construction of a predictive agent-based computational model. Another outcome will be a mathematical tool that enables the use of mathematical models for the purpose of designing optimal controls for fungal growth in heterogeneous biofilms. The applicability of the results of this project extends far beyond biofilms into all areas of medicine and healthcare that are amenable to agent-based modeling, such as studies of the human microbiome.