Microbial dormancy in batch cultures as a function of substrate-dependent mortality

Abstract

We present models and computational studies of dormancy in batch cultures to try to understand the relationship between reculturing time and death penalty for low substrate and the relative advantage of fast versus slow reawakening on the part of the bacteria. We find that the advantage goes to the faster waker for shorter reculturing times and lower mortality under low substrate, and moves to the slower waker as reculturing times and death penalty increase. The advantage returns again to the fast waker for very high death penalties. We use an explicit, continuous structure variable to represent dormancy so as to allow for flexibility in substrate usage on the part of dormant cells, and for a more mechanistic representation of the reawakening process.