Random walk calculations for bacterial migration in porous media

Bacterial migration is important in understanding many practical problems ranging from disease pathogenesis to the bioremediation of hazardous waste in the environment. Our laboratory has been successful in quantifying bacterial migration in fluid media through experiment and the use of population b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biophysical journal 1995-03, Vol.68 (3), p.800-806
Main Authors: Duffy, K.J., Cummings, P.T., Ford, R.M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AGUAS SUBTERRANEAS
Algorithms
ARENA
BACTERIA
Bacterial Physiological Phenomena
Biophysical Phenomena
Biophysics
BIOREMEDIATION
Cell Movement - physiology
Computer Simulation
CONTROL DE LA CONTAMINACION
Culture Media
Diffusion
EAU SOUTERRAINE
GROUNDWATER
LUTTE ANTIPOLLUTION
MATEMATICAS
MATHEMATICS
MATHEMATIQUE
MIGRACION
MIGRATION
Models, Biological
molecular dynamics simulation
MOUVEMENT
MOVEMENT
MOVIMIENTO
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION DE L'EAU
POLLUTION DU SOL
POLUCION DEL AGUA
POLUCION DEL SUELO
PORES
POROSITE DU SOL
PSEUDOMONAS PUTIDA
Pseudomonas putida - physiology
random motility
random walk algorithms
SABLE
SAND
sand columns
SIMULACION
SIMULATION
SISTEMA POROSO DEL SUELO
Soil Microbiology
SOIL POLLUTION
SOIL PORE SYSTEM
WATER POLLUTION
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Summary:Bacterial migration is important in understanding many practical problems ranging from disease pathogenesis to the bioremediation of hazardous waste in the environment. Our laboratory has been successful in quantifying bacterial migration in fluid media through experiment and the use of population balance equations and cellular level simulations that incorporate parameters based on a fundamental description of the microscopic motion of bacteria. The present work is part of an effort to extend these results to bacterial migration in porous media. Random walk algorithms have been used successfully to date in nonbiological contexts to obtain the diffusion coefficient for disordered continuum problems. This approach has been used here to describe bacterial motility. We have generated model porous media using molecular dynamics simulations applied to a fluid with equal sized spheres. The porosity is varied by allowing different degrees of sphere overlap. A random walk algorithm is applied to simulate bacterial migration, and the Einstein relation is used to calculate the effective bacterial diffusion coefficient. The tortuosity as a function of particle size is calculated and compared with available experimental results of migration of Pseudomonas putida in sand columns. Tortuosity increases with decreasing obstacle diameter, which is in agreement with the experimental results.
ISSN:0006-3495
1542-0086
DOI:10.1016/S0006-3495(95)80256-0