Distributing Chemical Reactions between Cell Populations: Exemplar Studies

The distribution of chemical reactions between different reactors or reaction compartments is foundational to chemical reaction engineering. It is also of relevance to both systems and synthetic biology. In this study we examine sample reaction systems distributed between two cell populations which have significant interactions between each other. We examine two scenarios motivated by specific studies in the experimental synthetic biology literature, one which involves a sequential distribution of reactions/components and one which involves a parallel distribution. We develop a modelling and systems framework to assess the overall production rate of product and how it depends on various parameters: intrinsic kinetic parameters, as well as cell population growth/death/interaction parameters. We use computational, analytical and semi-analytical methods to analyse the associated model and isolate insights both structural and parameter dependent qualitative insights. We then expand the modelling framework to assess the potential effect of external resources on systems behaviour. Overall, our analysis reveals how significant nonlinear interactions between cells and across levels has a profound effect on the distribution of chemical reactions.