Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Population and Single-Cell Analysis of Antibiotic Persistence in Escherichia coli
Published on: March 24, 2023
Persistence time of SIS infections in heterogeneous populations and networks
1Department of Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics, Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK. d.clancy@hw.ac.uk.
Abstract:
For a susceptible-infectious-susceptible infection model in a heterogeneous population, we present simple formulae giving the leading-order asymptotic (large population) behaviour of the mean persistence time, from an endemic state to extinction of infection. Our model may be interpreted as describing an infection spreading through either (1) a population with heterogeneity in individuals' susceptibility and/or infectiousness; or (2) a heterogeneous directed network. Using our asymptotic formulae, we show that such heterogeneity can only reduce (to leading order) the mean persistence time compared to a corresponding homogeneous population, and that the greater the degree of heterogeneity, the more quickly infection will die out.
Related Concept Videos
Population Growth
Conservation of Small Populations
What is Population Genetics?
Protein Networks
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
Protein Networks
Network Covalent Solids
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...

