title: Biofilms and the plasmid maintenance question.
abstract: Can a conjugative plasmid encoding enhanced biofilm forming abilities for its bacterial host facilitate the persistence of the plasmid in a bacterial population despite conferring diminished growth rate and segregative plasmid loss on its bearers? We construct a mathematical model in a chemostat and in a plug flow environment to answer this question. Explicit conditions for an affirmative answer are derived. Numerical simulations support the conclusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
authors.forename: Mudassar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imran
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Hal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008954:Models, Biological; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*