Formation of Biofilm Streamers (2 of 2) (VIDEO)

Princeton University

Caption

Biofilm streamers cause rapid and sudden clogging, as shown in this video of fluid flow through a microfluidic channel. Contrary to the current paradigm, the wall-attached biofilm that builds up over the first 55 hours only weakly affects the flow rate through the channel. Suddenly, biofilm streamers emerge, span the distance between corners in the channel, and rapidly expand to clog the channel.

Credit

Knut Drescher, Princeton University

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