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Cooperative Strategies and Genome Cybernetics in Formation of Complex Bacterial Patterns

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 September 2012

Eshel Ben-Jacob ,
Ofer Shochet ,
Inon Cohen ,
Adam Tenenbaum ,
Andras CzirÓk  and
Tamas Vicsek
Eshel Ben-Jacob
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, ISRAEL
Ofer Shochet
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, ISRAEL
Inon Cohen
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, ISRAEL
Adam Tenenbaum
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, ISRAEL
Andras CzirÓk
Affiliation:
Department of Atomic Physics, Eötvös University, Budapest, Puskin u 5-7, 1088 Hungary
Tamas Vicsek
Affiliation:
Department of Atomic Physics, Eötvös University, Budapest, Puskin u 5-7, 1088 Hungary
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Abstract

We present a study of interfacial pattern formation during growth of bacterial colonies. Growth of bacterial colonies bears similarities but presents an inherent additional level of complexity in comparison with non-living systems. In the former case, the building blocks themselves are living systems, each with its own autonomous self-interest and internal degrees of freedom. The bacteria have developed sophisticated communication channels, which they utilize when growth conditions are tough. Here we present a non-local communicating walkers model to study the effect of local bacterium-bacterium interaction and communication via chemotaxis signaling. We demonstrate how communication enables the colony to develop complex patterns in response to adverse growth conditions. This self-organization of the colony, which can be achieved only via cooperative behavior of the bacteria, may be viewed as the outcome of an interplay between the micro-level (the individual bacterium) and the macro-level (the colony). Some qualitative features of the complex morphologies can be accounted for by invoking ideas from pattern formation in non-living systems together with a simplified model of chemotactic “feedback”.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 367: Symposium P – Fractal Aspects of Materials , 1994 , 405
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1995

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