3D Cellular Automata-Based Model of Bacterial Biofilm Formation with Developed Surface Spreading Mechanism

Cellular automata, being an apparatus for the implementation of discrete dynamic models, play a special role in mathematical biology and in silico studies of microorganisms. The study was undertaken to design 3D hybrid cellular automata-based model of bacterial biofilm taking into account the surface spreading mechanism. The model formalization is based on the cellular automaton algorithm of biofilm evolution, a discrete analogy for the diffusion model of nutrient consumption, and an additional inoculation mechanism. The proposed computational procedure allows to conduct simulations under variations of key model parameters: the initial nutrient level, the probability of additional inoculation, and the radius of random inoculation transfer. A series of in silico experiments was conducted to investigate biofilm formation with a focus on ensuring two key factors: maximum space occupation with minimal resource consumption.