A realistic and mechanistic model for the population interaction of bacteria and their bacteriophage viruses (original) (raw)

After an analysis of some actual models for bacteria-phage interaction we present a new differential equations system where the susceptible cell population is physiologically structured by the number of viral receptors on which an attach-detach mechanism is regarded. The interaction takes place in a limited resources environment, modeled via the logistic equation, and in company of a phage resistant bacterial strain. In a first formulation we consider finite attach and detach rates over bacterial phage receptors. A second and simpler model is obtained when neglecting viral detachments. Both formulations are first presented in a discrete manner and converted to their corresponding continuous fashions.