We study a previously introduced mathematical model of amensalistic control of the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes by the generally regarded as safe lactic acid bacteria Lactococcus lactis in a chemostat setting under nutrient rich growth conditions. The control agent produces lactic acids and thus affects pH in the environment such that it becomes detrimental to the pathogen while it is much more tolerant to these self-inflicted environmental changes itself. The mathematical model consists of five nonlinear ordinary differential equations for both bacterial species, the concentration of lactic acids, the pH and malate. The model is algebraically too involved to allow a comprehensive, rigorous qualitative analysis. Therefore, we conduct a computational study. Our results imply that depending on the growth characteristics of the medium in which the bacteria are cultured, the pathogen can survive in an intermediate flow regime but will be eradicated for slower flow rates and washed out for higher flow rates.
Keywords: Lactococus lactis; Listeria monocytogenes; biocontrol; computer simulation; mathematical model.