A chemotactic model for interaction of antagonistic microflora colonies: front asymptotics and numerical simulations

Abstract: This paper studies a two-dimensional chemotactic model for two species in which one of them produces a chemo-repellent for the other. It is shown asymptotically and numerically how the chemical inhibits the invasion of a moving front for the second species and how stable steady states, which depend on the chemical concentration, can be reached. The results qualitatively explain experimental observations by Swain and Ray (Microbiol. Res. 164(2), 2009), where colonies of bacteria produce metabolite agents which prevent the invasion of fungi.