This simulation models bacteria evolving resistance. It is highly exaggerated to demonstrate key principles rather than accurately reflecting reality. To keep things simple, there is no modelling of the immune system.
Running the model
Manually advance:
Click either the "Take pill" button (increases antibiotic concentration) or the "Skip pill" button (leaves antibiotic concentration unchanged).
Click the "Natural selection" button; any bacteria whose resistance is lower than the antibiotic concentration will die.
Click the "Reproduction" button; each bacterium divides, with a mutation to resistance determined by the "Mutation rate" slider. The antibiotic concentration also drops slightly at a rate determined by the "Antibiotic metabolism" slider.
Clicking on the pill by the person's head will give an additional dose but without advancing to the natural selection stage.
Auto mode - toggle the buttons to automatically run the model:
"Good patient" takes a pill every day.
"Bad patient" only takes pills every other day.
"No medication" never takes a pill.
Settings
Initial bacterial load: sets the starting number of bacteria.
Initial antibiotic resistance: sets the average starting resistance level.
Mutation rate: determines how rapidly bacteria resistance genes mutate.
Antibiotic dose size: determines how much antibiotic concentration increases with each pill.
Antibiotic metabolism rate: determines the proportion of the pill dose metabolised at the end of each day.