Digital Beings as an option to study gut flora evolution and adaptation

In this work, we introduce a computational model for the study of the host-bacteria interaction and the influence of the intestinal microbiota on the behavior and feeding pattern of an individual. The model is based on digital entities, which we've called Digital Beings (DBs), modeled using dyn...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inarXiv.org
Main Authors João Paulo Almeida de Mendonça, Leonardo da Motta de Vasconcellos Teixeira, Sato, Fernando
Format Paper
LanguageEnglish
Published Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 10.09.2019
Subjects
Bacteria
Biological evolution
Biomedical materials
Genetic algorithms
In vivo methods and tests
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Summary:In this work, we introduce a computational model for the study of the host-bacteria interaction and the influence of the intestinal microbiota on the behavior and feeding pattern of an individual. The model is based on digital entities, which we've called Digital Beings (DBs), modeled using dynamic systems and genetic algorithms. We have successfully tested the use of the DBs by reproducing observation in previously made studies using rats and humans. Among these studies, we highlight those on how the bacteria in an individual's stomach could influence their eating behavior and how a controlled and continuous diet can affect the longevity of a certain population. Our results point that the Digital Beings can be used as a tool for supporting the devising of experiments and corroborating with theoretical hypotheses, reducing the number of in vivo tests.
ISSN:2331-8422