A stochastic queuing model of quorum sensing in microbial communities

Microbial communities regulate various collective functions using molecular signaling circuits in a process known as quorum sensing (QS). Regulation and prediction of QS dynamics may reveal new strategies to control virulence in infections without the use of antibiotics. To this end, models of QS are important tools for prediction and analysis. In this paper, a stochastic and dynamic queuing model of QS signaling in microbial communities is presented. The model provides an abstraction of the detailed and complex biological signals, yet it is accurate enough to capture the dynamics and correlations in QS activation in a population of microbes.