The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

The influence of fluid shear on the structure and material properties of sulphate-reducing bacterial biofilms

The influence of fluid shear on the structure and material properties of sulphate-reducing bacterial biofilms
The influence of fluid shear on the structure and material properties of sulphate-reducing bacterial biofilms
Biofilms of sulphate-reducing Desulfovibrio sp. EX265 were grown in square section glass capillary flow cells under a range of fluid flow velocities from 0.01 to 0.4 m/s (wall shear stress, tau(w), from 0.027 to 1.0 N/m(2)). In situ image analysis and confocal scanning laser microscopy revealed biofilm characteristics similar to those reported for aerobic biofilms. Biofilms in both flow cells were patchy and consisted of cell clusters separated by voids. Length-to-width ratio measurements (l(c):w(c)) of biofilm clusters demonstrated the formation of more "streamlined" biofilm clusters (l(c):w(c)=3.03) at high-flow velocity (Reynolds number, Re, 1200), whereas at low-flow velocity (Re 120), the l(c):w(c) of the clusters was approximately 1 (l(c):w(c) of 1 indicates no elongation in the flow direction). Cell clusters grown under high flow were more rigid and had a higher yield point (the point at which the biofilm began to flow like a fluid) than those established at low flow and some biofilm cell aggregates were able to relocate within a cluster, by travelling in the direction of flow, before attaching more firmly downstream.
1367-5435
347-353
Dunsmore, B.C.
fead0ec2-aa02-4c8e-b3a9-eb323d89b0ee
Jacobsen, A.
c252e5d5-5e13-4940-ab54-95ad0af15a17
Hall-Stoodley, L.
94ebdc00-b549-4488-b15f-5310fb965f5b
Bass, C.J.
9e5434e1-ffc6-40db-8be2-5fc94976ba41
Lappin-Scott, H.M.
fa1948ea-97cd-47a8-9fea-4f67567a50c8
Stoodley, P.
08614665-92a9-4466-806e-20c6daeb483f
Dunsmore, B.C.
fead0ec2-aa02-4c8e-b3a9-eb323d89b0ee
Jacobsen, A.
c252e5d5-5e13-4940-ab54-95ad0af15a17
Hall-Stoodley, L.
94ebdc00-b549-4488-b15f-5310fb965f5b
Bass, C.J.
9e5434e1-ffc6-40db-8be2-5fc94976ba41
Lappin-Scott, H.M.
fa1948ea-97cd-47a8-9fea-4f67567a50c8
Stoodley, P.
08614665-92a9-4466-806e-20c6daeb483f

Dunsmore, B.C., Jacobsen, A., Hall-Stoodley, L., Bass, C.J., Lappin-Scott, H.M. and Stoodley, P. (2002) The influence of fluid shear on the structure and material properties of sulphate-reducing bacterial biofilms. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology, 29 (6), 347-353.

Record type: Article

Abstract

Biofilms of sulphate-reducing Desulfovibrio sp. EX265 were grown in square section glass capillary flow cells under a range of fluid flow velocities from 0.01 to 0.4 m/s (wall shear stress, tau(w), from 0.027 to 1.0 N/m(2)). In situ image analysis and confocal scanning laser microscopy revealed biofilm characteristics similar to those reported for aerobic biofilms. Biofilms in both flow cells were patchy and consisted of cell clusters separated by voids. Length-to-width ratio measurements (l(c):w(c)) of biofilm clusters demonstrated the formation of more "streamlined" biofilm clusters (l(c):w(c)=3.03) at high-flow velocity (Reynolds number, Re, 1200), whereas at low-flow velocity (Re 120), the l(c):w(c) of the clusters was approximately 1 (l(c):w(c) of 1 indicates no elongation in the flow direction). Cell clusters grown under high flow were more rigid and had a higher yield point (the point at which the biofilm began to flow like a fluid) than those established at low flow and some biofilm cell aggregates were able to relocate within a cluster, by travelling in the direction of flow, before attaching more firmly downstream.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: December 2002
Organisations: Engineering Mats & Surface Engineerg Gp

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 157137
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/157137
ISSN: 1367-5435
PURE UUID: 71408b58-2ebd-42b2-9c1c-692a7ce70227
ORCID for P. Stoodley: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6069-273X

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 09 Jun 2010 13:55
Last modified: 08 Jan 2022 03:10

Export record

Contributors

Author: B.C. Dunsmore
Author: A. Jacobsen
Author: L. Hall-Stoodley
Author: C.J. Bass
Author: H.M. Lappin-Scott
Author: P. Stoodley ORCID iD

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×