title: Shaping the Growth Behaviour of Biofilms Initiated from Bacterial Aggregates.
abstract: Bacterial biofilms are usually assumed to originate from individual cells deposited on a surface. However, many biofilm-forming bacteria tend to aggregate in the planktonic phase so that it is possible that many natural and infectious biofilms originate wholly or partially from pre-formed cell aggregates. Here, we use agent-based computer simulations to investigate the role of pre-formed aggregates in biofilm development. Focusing on the initial shape the aggregate forms on the surface, we find that the degree of spreading of an aggregate on a surface can play an important role in determining its eventual fate during biofilm development. Specifically, initially spread aggregates perform better when competition with surrounding unaggregated bacterial cells is low, while initially rounded aggregates perform better when competition with surrounding unaggregated cells is high. These contrasting outcomes are governed by a trade-off between aggregate surface area and height. Our results provide new insight into biofilm formation and development, and reveal new factors that may be at play in the social evolution of biofilm communities.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, James Clerk Maxwell Building, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Melaugh
authors.affiliation: Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-1199, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hutchison
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty Of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kasper Nørskov
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Kragh
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.|Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Irie
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Aled
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty Of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.|Department for Clinical Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bjarnsholt
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Diggle
authors.affiliation: Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-1199, United States of America.
authors.forename: Vernita D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, James Clerk Maxwell Building, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Rosalind J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D001686:Biological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D010829:Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D010933:Plankton / Q000502:physiology