What is it about?
Biofilms are microbial cities in which bacterial cells reside in a polymeric matrix. They are commonly found inside soft confining environments such as food matrices and host tissues, against which bacteria must push to grow.
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Why is it important?
This work shows that the confining environment determines the dynamics of biofilm shape and internal architecture. The self-organization of biofilm-dwelling cells are caused by force transmission between the environment and the biofilm, mediated by the extracellular matrix secreted by the cells.
Perspectives
This article has led to a better understanding of how bacterial communities develop into highly ordered beautiful patterns under mechanical constraints. We believe that our work also provides potential strategies for preventing and controlling biofilm growth in 3D environments.
Jing Yan
Yale University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Morphogenesis and cell ordering in confined bacterial biofilms, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, July 2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107107118.
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