Biofilm Dynamics in Porous Media
Summary
Biofilms are structured microbial communities embedded within a self‐generated matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that colonise the pore space of natural and engineered materials. In porous media such as soils, aquifers and filtration beds, the growth, detachment and reorganisation of biofilms profoundly modify hydraulic and transport properties. At the pore scale, microbial adhesion and EPS production create living micro-porous structures that alter local permeability, porosity and flow pathways. Nutrient availability, shear forces and local hydrodynamics control biofilm morphology, leading to heterogeneous patterns from thin boundary layers to bulky plugs that induce bioclogging. Upscaling these processes to the macroscale requires bridging continuum descriptions of fluid flow with discrete models of biomass accumulation and detachment. Recent advances in imaging, microfluidics and numerical modelling have elucidated the interplay between advective transport and biomass cohesion, revealing critical thresholds at which flow-induced detachment balances growth. These insights underpin applications in bioremediation, subsurface carbon sequestration, enhanced oil recovery and water treatment, where the management of biofilm formation can either be harnessed for permeability control or mitigated to prevent clogging. A quantitative understanding of the coupled biological, chemical and physical processes in porous environments remains essential for predicting and optimising biofilm-mediated transformations at field scale.
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Biofilm Dynamics in Porous Media publication trend
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Technical terms
Biofilm: A surface-attached microbial community embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances.
Porous medium: A solid framework containing interconnected voids through which fluids can flow.
Permeability: A measure of a porous medium’s ability to transmit fluids under a pressure gradient.
Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS): Biopolymers secreted by microbes that form the structural matrix of a biofilm.
Pore scale: The characteristic size of individual voids and grains in a porous medium, typically micrometres to millimetres.
References
- Pore‐Scale Coupling of Flow, Biofilm Growth, and Nutrient Transport: A Microcontinuum Approach. Water Resources Research (2024).
- Relationship Between Microbial Growth and Hydraulic Properties at the Sub-Pore Scale. Transport in Porous Media (2021).
- Investigation of Biofilm Growth within a Monodisperse Porous Medium under Fluctuating Water Level Assessed by Means of MRI. Water (2021).
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