Biofilms commonly develop in flowing aqueous environments, where the flow causes the biofilm to deform. Because biofilm deformation affects the flow regime, and because biofilms behave as complex heterogeneous viscoelastic materials, few models are able to predict biofilm deformation. In this study, a phase‐field (PF) continuum model coupled with the Oldroyd‐B constitutive equation was developed and used to simulate biofilm deformation. The accuracy of the model was evaluated using two types of biofilms: a synthetic biofilm, made from alginate mixed with bacterial cells, and a
The mechanical properties of biofilms can be used to predict biofilm deformation under external forces, for example, under fluid flow. We used magnetic tweezers to spatially map the compliance of
- PAR ID:
- 10449985
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Biotechnology and Bioengineering
- Volume:
- 118
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 0006-3592
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 1545-1556
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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