Modeling and simulation of bacterial biofilm treatment with applications to food science

Abstract

In this article, we first review the progress achieved in mathematical modeling of biofilms over the last 30 years and then present a few mathematical models and simulation results in biofilm treatment using nanotechnology pertinent to applications in food and health care industry. Bacterial biofilms can form in infected tissues and organs posing serious health hazard to our population; they can also form in packaged food or during food transportation threatening food safety in the food supply chain. Treating biofilm and/or preventing biofilm formation is of significant scientific, industrial, economic, and health benefits to our society. In three modeling examples presented in this article, we discuss (i) how to model antibacterial packaging to reduce and/or prevent biofilm growth, (ii) how to model and simulate the process of nanoparticle penetration into a bacterial cell and (iii) how a bioactive nanoparticle can deliver surfactant to the surface of a cell. All these can find direct applications in food science and medical treatment of biofilms involving nanotechnology.