Bifurcation analysis of a model for cross-feeding in the chemostat

Abstract

Cross-feeding is a symbiotic relationship between microorganisms where one organism consumes metabolites produced by another. A recent mathematical model (Gudelj et al., 2016) for cross-feeding in a chemostat is based on empirical data on competing strains of Escherichia coli in a laboratory chemostat (Rosenzweig et al., 1994). The metabolism of glucose is assumed to follow two stages, 1. glycolysis and 2. tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Thereby the primary resource, glucose, is partially oxidized and forms an intermediate metabolite, which can in turn either be fully oxidized to carbon dioxide or excess quantities are secreted into the environment, and serve as secondary energy resource...