Speaker
Description
Many bacterial species employ quorum sensing as a communication
mechanism to coordinate collective behaviours such as pathogenicity or
major lifestyle transitions. Gene regulatory networks govern these
processes, that typically involve coupled positive and negative feedback
loops, giving rise to nonlinear dynamics and, under suitable conditions,
bi- or multistability. Additionally, intervention strategies, including
classical antibiotics as well as quorum quenching, may play a role.
The diffusion of signalling molecules introduces an additional layer of
complexity. In particular, the coupling of nonlinear reaction kinetics
with diffusion processes naturally leads to reaction–diffusion systems,
in which spatial inhomogeneities can induce pattern formation,
travelling waves, or spatially heterogeneous switching between stable
states.
Beyond these effects, increasing evidence suggests that bacterial cells
can exhibit memory-like behavior, where prior exposure to signals or
environmental conditions influences current responses. From a modeling
perspective, such effects can be incorporated e.g. via additional
dynamical variables or delayed terms in the underlying nonlinear system.
Our aim is to analyse these mechanisms by combining dynamical systems
and reaction–diffusion approaches and to discuss the biological meaning
behind.
