preprints.org > physical sciences > applied physics > doi: 10.20944/preprints202405.1899.v1

Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Version 1 : Received: 28 May 2024 / Approved: 28 May 2024 / Online: 29 May 2024 (08:08:57 CEST)

The production of public goods is a necessary condition for the survival of the species but it comes at the expense of individual growth. In a prototype bacterial colony, we model the role of quorum sensing as a resource redistribution mechanism. Two types of bacterial colonies are analyzed, one made up of a single strain and one made up of two different strains. Based on a recent series of experimental data present in the literature, we analyze two types of strains with different extinction times: strains that consume available resources very quickly, therefore becoming extinct quickly, and strains that consume resources slowly and die due to aging. We show that the proposed quorum sensing model describes the main experimental result, namely that coexistence favors the survival of both strains. Furthermore, the production of public goods is maximized when both types of individuals have the maximum proliferation output. Finally, we highlight the role played by so-called dormant cells in the duration of survival time. These cells are of particular interest, because their ability to counteract different types of stress (e.g. the use of antibiotics) still constitutes a challenge.

quorum sensing; cooperation; agent-based model

Physical Sciences, Applied Physics

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