Biofilm streamer formation in a microfluidic porous media mimic
Mahtab Hassanpourfard (University of Alberta), Xiaohui Sun (University of Alberta), Amin Valiei (), Yang Liu (University of Alberta), Aloke Kumar (University of Alberta), Thomas Thundat (University of Alberta)
Mechanics and Physics of Biological Cells
Mon 9:00 - 10:30
Barus-Holley 166
Several bacterial species possess the ability to attach to surfaces and colonize them in thin films called biofilms. Biofilms that grow in porous media are relevant to several industrial and environmental processes such as wastewater treatment, nitrogen cycles and even oil recovery. We used Pseudmonas fluorescens, a gram negative aerobic biofilm forming bacteria, to investigate biofilm formation in a microfluidic porous media mimic device. Hydrodynamics and culture media are two significant factors that determine biofilm formation in our device. We demonstrate the formation of filamentous biofilms known as streamers in our device and establish the effect of various environmental factors on streamer formation.