{"title":"A generalized model for predicting different morphologies of bacterial swarming on a porous solid surface.","authors":"Uttam Kumar, Subramaniam Pushpavanam","doi":"10.1039/d4sm01072h","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this study, we develop a comprehensive two-phase model to analyze the dynamics of bacterial swarming on porous substrates. The two distinct phases under consideration are the cell and aqueous phases. We use the thin-film approximation, as the characteristic height of the swarm is significantly lower than its characteristic radius. Our model incorporates surfactant generation by microorganisms, drag forces between the cell and aqueous phases, osmotic influx, and Marangoni stresses. The disjoining pressure is included to account for substrate wettability, and a precursor film is used to address the contact line singularity. Several morphologies of bacterial swarms, such as arrested, circular, modulated, branching, droplet, fingering, and dendrite, have been observed experimentally. The model developed is capable of predicting all these shapes for realistic parameter values. An increase in the wettability of the substrate leads to faster expansion, while increased surface tension helps redistribute biomass radially. The role of biomass growth and surfactant production rate, surfactant diffusivity, and osmotic influx on the morphology of bacterial swarms are explained.</p>","PeriodicalId":103,"journal":{"name":"Soft Matter","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Soft Matter","FirstCategoryId":"92","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4sm01072h","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
A generalized model for predicting different morphologies of bacterial swarming on a porous solid surface.
In this study, we develop a comprehensive two-phase model to analyze the dynamics of bacterial swarming on porous substrates. The two distinct phases under consideration are the cell and aqueous phases. We use the thin-film approximation, as the characteristic height of the swarm is significantly lower than its characteristic radius. Our model incorporates surfactant generation by microorganisms, drag forces between the cell and aqueous phases, osmotic influx, and Marangoni stresses. The disjoining pressure is included to account for substrate wettability, and a precursor film is used to address the contact line singularity. Several morphologies of bacterial swarms, such as arrested, circular, modulated, branching, droplet, fingering, and dendrite, have been observed experimentally. The model developed is capable of predicting all these shapes for realistic parameter values. An increase in the wettability of the substrate leads to faster expansion, while increased surface tension helps redistribute biomass radially. The role of biomass growth and surfactant production rate, surfactant diffusivity, and osmotic influx on the morphology of bacterial swarms are explained.
期刊介绍:
Soft Matter is an international journal published by the Royal Society of Chemistry using Engineering-Materials Science: A Synthesis as its research focus. It publishes original research articles, review articles, and synthesis articles related to this field, reporting the latest discoveries in the relevant theoretical, practical, and applied disciplines in a timely manner, and aims to promote the rapid exchange of scientific information in this subject area. The journal is an open access journal. The journal is an open access journal and has not been placed on the alert list in the last three years.