Fordyce Davidson: The Architecture of Biofilms
Channel: NorthWestBiomathsDataScienceSeminars
Date: 2021-11-18

North West Seminar Series of Mathematical Biology and Data Science 

Wednesday, 17th November 2021 (hosted by Bakhti Vasiev) 

https://www.cms.livjm.ac.uk/APMSeminar/

Abstract:
Biofilms are social communities of microbial cells that underpin diverse processes including sewage bioremediation, plant growth promotion and plant protection, chronic infections and industrial biofouling. They are hallmarked by the production of an extracellular polymeric matrix. One  of the phenotypic consequences of biofilm formation is that resident microbes are highly resistant to physical stresses and antimicrobial agents. Rapid advances in  molecular and  microscopy techniques are revealing a rich array of novel,  complex behaviours associated with biofilm formation. For example new data of the authors reveals that the  leading edge of a class of  biofilms  advances as a result of an extraordinary complex process that defies simple mechanical analogue. Behind  this leading edge the biofilm matures differentially in response to environmental conditions. We propose that in order to keep pace with these rapid advances in experimental methods  demands  the application of new  theoretical tools. We discuss some standard theoretical approaches used by the authors, highlighting  their limitation by presenting images and movies that have changed our perception. We invite a discussion of  novel perspectives on modelling biofilm formation that  may yield  a deeper and more useful understanding. As a starting point,  we propose that one such approach may result from a holistic view that treats these complex  cell-matrix composites  as  dynamically active  materials.