Biofilms growth stages

Fig.l The growth stages of a biofilm. The plot can be divided into three phases (1) lag,... 

Stage One Formation of the Base Layer for Biofilm Growth... 

Marsili E, Sun 1, Bond DR. Voltammetry and growth physiology of Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms as a function of growth stage and imposed electrode potential. Electroanalysis 2010 22 865-874. 

Fig. 5.1.4 Ti me lapse T2 maps of biofilm structures as a function of growth. The T2 maps are collected at different stages in the growth of a biofilm at the time shown after initial inoculation. Light colors indicate water...

For the initial stages of biofouling when the growth on the surface is negligible the colonising development of the biofilm is directly related to the mass transfer of the cells and the macromolecules. Assuming that these two processes are occurring simultaneously, it is possible to write an equation that describes the total transport ( ror-o) surface as... 

When the biofilm is formed and developed, Le., in stages 1 to 3 in Figure 4.4, the outer cells will start to consume the nutrient available to them more rapidly than the cells located deeper within the biofilm, so that the activity and growth rate of the latter are considerably reduced [37]. Therefore, while the outer cells increase in number, the biofilm starts to act hke a net to trap more and more particles, organic or inorganic. This will increase the thickness of the biofilm even further. 

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