  When planktonic bacteria adhere together to a surface, they begin to form
biofilms, or communities of bacteria. Biofilm formation in a host can be
extremely problematic if left untreated, especially since antibiotics can be
ineffective in treating the bacteria. Certain lung diseases such as cystic
fibrosis can cause the formation of biofilms in the lungs and can be fatal.
With antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the use of phage therapy has been
introduced as an alternative or an additive to the use of antibiotics in order
to combat biofilm growth. Phage therapy utilizes phages, or viruses that attack
bacteria, in order to penetrate and eradicate biofilms. In order to evaluate
the effectiveness of phage therapy against biofilm bacteria, we adapt an
ordinary differential equation model to describe the dynamics of phage-biofilm
combat in the lungs. We then create our own phage-biofilm model with ordinary
differential equations and stochastic modeling. Then, simulations of parameter
alterations in both models are investigated to assess how they will affect the
efficiency of phage therapy against bacteria. By increasing the phage mortality
rate, the biofilm growth can be balanced and allow the biofilm to be more
vulnerable to antibiotics. Thus, phage therapy is an effective aid in biofilm
treatment.
