Thermodynamic study of the self-organization structures of bacterial colonies

• Grant number: 22/09969-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2022
• End date: November 12, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Martina Costa Reis
• Grantee: Débora Marchesan Cunha
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

During colony growth, bacteria commonly generate self-organization structures that resemble those observed in chemical systems. Such patterns stem from the non-linear interactions that occur between the microorganisms and the microorganisms and the environment. Thus, since living systems can be considered open chemical systems out of equilibrium, the self-organization structures formed during the bacterial colonies' growth will be studied, according to the foundations of non-equilibrium thermodynamics and linear stability theory. To this end, a mathematical model based on a system of reaction-diffusion partial differential equations will be used to calculate the entropy production during colony growth, as well as to evaluate whether the nutrient concentration and viscosity of the semi-solid medium affect the formation of self-organization structures. Unlike the various studies of bacterial self-organization available in the literature, this project aims to discuss through the results of numerical simulations and linear stability analysis whether the principle of maximum entropy production and the formation of self-organization structures are related to the processes of biological adaptation.