(311c) Biofilm Growth Morphology in Confined Heterogenous Media

Biofilms, bacteria that produce an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) that surrounds them, grow in confined structured environments such as the gut, lung mucus, soils, and sediments. The majority of the previous work with biofilms has focused on their behavior on 2D surfaces, such as at liquid-air interfaces or on flat substrates. However, less work has focused on biofilms that grow in confined structured environments. Here, we 3D print Vibrio cholerae, a model biofilm former, into jammed hydrogel matrices and observe the growth morphology over time. Through using mutants with varying EPS compositions and controlling the stiffness of the surrounding hydrogel matrix, we develop fundamental insights on how biofilms grow in a confined structured environment.