title: Magnetic resonance imaging of mass transport and structure inside a phototrophic biofilm.
abstract: The aim of this study was to utilize magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to image structural heterogeneity and mass transport inside a biofilm which was too thick for photon based imaging. MRI was used to map water diffusion and image the transport of the paramagnetically tagged macromolecule, Gd-DTPA, inside a 2.5 mm thick cyanobacterial biofilm. The structural heterogeneity of the biofilm was imaged at resolutions down to 22 × 22 μm, enabling the impact of biofilm architecture on the mass transport of both water and Gd-DTPA to be investigated. Higher density areas of the biofilm correlated with areas exhibiting lower relative water diffusion coefficients and slower transport of Gd-DTPA, highlighting the impact of biofilm structure on mass transport phenomena. This approach has potential for shedding light on heterogeneous mass transport of a range of molecular mass molecules in biofilms.
authors.affiliation: Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Baheerathan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ramanan
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: William T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Sloan
authors.forename: Vernon R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Phoenix
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms; D001692:Biological Transport; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000502:physiology*; D004058:Diffusion; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA