Evolving Parameters for a Noisy Bio-System

A simplified stochastic model of bacterial nutrient uptake and metabolism is presented. An evolutionary algorithm is used to explore the parameter space of this model under three different conditions: Unlimited nutrient supply, a limited nutrient supply that is replenished and a limited nutrient supply that is replenished after a period of no nutrient. A comparison of evolved parameters shows that the solutions are specific to the particular parameters for which they have been evolved. Given such solutions, this article then explores the parameter space of the evolved solutions. This shows that there is a noise-speed-cost trade-off in parameters which manifests itself through a tension between the growth rate of the cell and the likelihood of the cell running out of nutrients.