Dynamics of bacterial aggregates in microflows

Abstract

Biofilms are bacterial aggregates that grow on moist surfaces. Thin homogeneous biofilms naturally formed on the walls of conducts may serve as biosensors, providing information on the status of microsystems (MEMS) without disrupting them. However, uncontrolled biofilm growth may largely disturb the environment they develop in, increasing the drag and clogging the tubes. To ensure controlled biofilm expansion we need to understand the effect of external variables on their structure. We formulate a hybrid model for the computational study of biofilms growing in laminar microflows. Biomass evolves according to stochastic rules for adhesion, erosion and motion, informed by numerical approximations of the flow fields at each stage. The model is tested studying the formation of streamers in three dimensional corner flows, gaining some insight on the effect of external variables on their structure.