Biofilm growth in confinement

Biofilms are microbial communities that emerge when free-swimming bacteria transition to a surface-attached, sessile state. Biofilm formation is modulated by environmental factors including nutrient and autoinducer levels, interspecies competition, and chemical and mechanical stresses. Through microfluidic experiments and theoretical modeling, we investigate biofilm development within confined environments. We probe how proliferation, self-generated nutrient gradients, quorum sensing, chemotaxis, and confinement modulate the spatiotemporal evolution of biofilms. Our observations highlight the important role of environmental factors in the development and evolution of microbial communities in heterogeneous systems.