(289d) Monte Carlo Simulation Of The Growth Kinetics Of Azotobacter Vinelandii

The growth kinetics of the bacteria, Azotobacter vinelandii, and the concomitant production of alginate by them are simulated stochastically via the Monte Carlo method. Bacteria populations, such as that of A. vinelandii, comprise discrete and mesoscopic organisms that behave erratically in time and/or space; moreover, the biological mechanism characterizing the bacteria's growth, i.e., cell division, can be described as occurring randomly or stochastically. Thus, it is appropriate that the growth kinetics of A. vinelandii be analyzed, modeled, and simulated according to a stochastic paradigm. Numerical simulation of a stochastic model is essential, especially when its master, i.e., governing, equation is non-linear, thereby rendering its analytical solution exceedingly difficult. Conventional numerical techniques, however, can be highly convoluted to implement. The master equation can be numerically solved with relative ease by the Monte Carlo method through random sampling. Thus, the mean, variance, and coefficient of variation of the number concentration of A. vinelandii during their growth process are evaluated through Monte Carlo simulation of the master equation of the growth process based on a non-linear and mechanistic rate law. The numerical results are compared with the analytical solutions derived from the system-size expansion of the master equation as well as with the available experimental data.