Spatial structure, chemotaxis and quorum sensing shape bacterial biomass accumulation in complex porous media.

ABSTRACT: Biological tissues, sediments, or engineered systems are spatially structured media with a tortuous and porous structure that host the flow of fluids. Such complex environments can influence the spatial and temporal colonization patterns of bacteria by controlling the transport of individual bacterial cells, the availability of resources, and the distribution of chemical signals for communication. Yet, due to the multi-scale structure of these complex systems, it is hard to assess how different biotic and abiotic properties work together to control the accumulation of bacterial biomass. Here, we explore how flow-mediated interactions allow the gut commensal Escherichia coli to colonize a porous structure that is composed of heterogenous dead-end pores (DEPs) and connecting percolating chan

SUBMITTER: Scheidweiler D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10761857 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature