Bifurcation analysis of bacteria and bacteriophage coexistence in the presence of bacterial debris

The dynamics of bacteria and bacteriophage coexistence in the presence of bacterial debris, in a marine environment, was studied using a system of delay differential equations (DDE). The system exhibits a rich variety of behavior in terms of two control parameters values: the bacteriophage burst size β, and the lysing time delay τ. Limit cycles of various periodicity, quasiperiodicity, period doubling, chaotic bands and toroidal chaos were identified using basic tools of non-linear dynamics analysis: first return maps, Poincaré sections, Fourier spectrum, and largest Lyapunov exponents.

► Phage bacteria dynamics is clarified. ► Phage treatment of cancer. ► Lyapunov exponents in delay differential equations.