Bacterial ecosystems are integrated with cascading molecular communications networks that contain redundant paths transmitting molecular signals through a shared medium, resulting in accumulation of diverse molecules. Due to a range of factors, including residual noise and channel attenuation, the information flow between bacterial populations can be affected. Although the cooperative transceiver bacterial populations in parallel paths of the network amplify molecular signals to overcome channel attenuation, it further minimises the residual noise by absorbing higher signal molecules resulting in reliable information flow through the network. In this study, using information and molecular communications theory, we investigate the impact of Cooperative Amplification (CA) on InterSymbol Interference (ISI) in Bacterial Molecular Communication Networks (BMCN) with redundant paths. Moreover, we analyse the information flow through a cascading and parallel molecular communications system that uses different molecules as signals. We first show the effect of CA on the ISI and then the reliability of bacterial molecular networks using a vital metabolic functionality of the Human Gut Bacteriome (HGB), which is Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) production. The analysis on the CA shows that the performance of the network can be enhanced up to a certain level by increasing the number of cooperate transceivers. Finally, the estimated Mutual Information (MI) for each bacterial population for three different networks using the data generated from simulations, indicates that the molecular communication network with redundant paths can support reliable information flow despite significant molecular residual noise.

Alterations in the human Gut Bacteriome (GB) can be associated with human health issues, such as type-2 diabetes and obesity. Both external and internal factors can drive changes in the composition and in interactions of the human GB, impacting negatively on the host cells. This paper focuses on the human GB metabolism and proposes a two-layer network system to investigate its dynamics. Furthermore, we develop an in-silico simulation model (virtual GB), allowing us to study the impact of the metabolite exchange through molecular communications in the human GB network system. Our results show that regulation of molecular inputs strongly affects bacterial population growth and creates an unbalanced network, as shown by shifts in the node weights based on the produced molecular signals. Additionally, we show that the metabolite molecular communication production is greatly affected when directly manipulating the composition of the human GB network in the virtual GB. These results indicate that our human GB interaction model can help to identify hidden behaviours of the human GB depending on molecular signal interactions. Moreover, the virtual GB can support the research and development of novel medical treatments based on the accurate control of bacterial population growth and exchange of metabolites.

Synthetic biology has utilised engineering concepts for the rational design of biocompatible systems. Here we utilise two bacterial populations to create a modulated molecular channel coding scheme for molecular communications systems. We believe this approach can drive the development of more reliable biocompatible molecular communications systems to apply in the dairy industry.

The outbreak of the Ebola virus in recent years has resulted in numerous research initiatives to seek new solutions to contain the virus. A number of approaches that have been investigated include new vaccines to boost the immune system. An alternative post-exposure treatment is presented in this paper. The proposed approach for clearing the Ebola virus can be developed through a microfluidic attenuator, which contains the engineered bacteria that traps Ebola flowing through the blood onto its membrane. The paper presents the analysis of the chemical binding force between the virus and a genetically engineered bacterium considering the opposing forces acting on the attachment point, including hydrodynamic tension and drag force. To test the efficacy of the technique, simulations of bacterial motility within a confined area to trap the virus were performed. More than 60 percent of the displaced virus could be collected within 15 minutes. While the proposed approach currently focuses on in vitro environments for trapping the virus, the system can be further developed into a future treatment system whereby blood can be cycled out of the body into a microfluidic device that contains the engineered bacteria to trap viruses.