title: Phenotypic plasticity stimulated by cooperation fosters pattern diversity of bacterial colonies.
abstract: Colonies of flagellated bacteria on agar plates are known to take on diverse morphologies. A diffusion-reaction model is proposed for bacterial-colony pattern formation on a surface due to time scale separation between the slow mass migration of bacteria from the point of inoculation, and the fast, but localized, dynamics of bacterial phenotypic plasticity stimulated by public-goods cooperation and phenotypic switching. By considering two switchable phenotypes in the population, the model generates pattern diversity typifying those reported by experimental studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, School of Science and Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108, Philippines.
authors.forename: Dranreb Earl
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Juanico
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000235:genetics*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D056265:Microbial Interactions / Q000235:genetics*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010641:Phenotype