Dresden 2017 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik
DY 55: Posters - Soft Matter, Glasses
DY 55.1: Poster
Donnerstag, 23. März 2017, 17:00–19:30, P1A
Role of surface forces in the spreading of biofilms at solid/gas interfaces — •Sarah Trinschek1,2, Karin John2, and Uwe Thiele1,3 — 1Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany — 2LiPhy, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France — 3Center for Nonliner Science, Münster, Germany
Biofilms are interface-associated aggregates of bacteria enclosed in a self-produced extracellular matrix. Their widespread occurrence and either detrimental or beneficial function implies that it is highly important to understand the principles underlying their development.
We consider biofilms on moist solid substrates in contact with a gas phase that spread via an osmotic spreading mechanism that is driven by growth processes and the physico-chemical properties of the biofilm and the interfaces. Recent experiments have shown that surface forces are a major determinant of the invasiveness of the colony. We propose a model for the osmotic biofilm spreading that explicitly includes wetting effects. The model is based on a hydrodynamic description for biologically passive liquid suspensions supplemented by bioactive processes. We find a regime where surface forces confine biofilm colonies, which are not able to spread, albeit being biologically active. A small reduction in the surface tension of the biofilm is sufficient to induce lateral spreading of the colony.