Stochastic modeling of bacterial adhesion: a two-step mechanism with linear adhesion rate.

Stochastic analysis of bacterial adhesion onto the surface of solid substrate is presented. Bacterial adhesion is assumed to occur in two steps: (i) a reversible adhesion between bacteria and solid surface; bacteria on the surface are weakly bound during this period, followed by (ii) an irreversible surface reaction which results in a strong binding force between bacteria and the surface; bacteria are considered to be in adhered form at this stage. The stochastic representation provides both the macroscopic and fluctuating information about the transient behavior of the phenomenon under consideration.