An approach combining single-cell imaging, agent-based simulations, and continuum mechanics theory is used to observe the effect of environmental stiffness on biofilm development. These measurements indicate that confined biofilms behave as active nematics, in which the internal organization and cell lineage are controlled by the shape and boundary of the biofilm.
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References
Hallatschek, O. et al. Proliferating active matter. Nat. Rev. Phys. 5, 407–419 (2023). A review article that proposes proliferation as an important new direction in active-matter physics.
Doostmohammadi, A., Ignés-Mullol, J., Yeomans, J. M. & Sagués, F. Active nematics. Nat. Commun. 9, 3246 (2018). A comprehensive review article that summarizes experimental and theoretical progress in the field of active nematics.
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Nijjer, J. et al. Mechanical forces drive a reorientation cascade leading to biofilm self-patterning. Nat. Commun. 12, 6632 (2021). This paper includes an updated imaging algorithm, which can segment biofilm-dwelling cells in a confined geometry.
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This is a summary of: Nijjer, J. et al. Biofilms as self-shaping growing nematics. Nat. Phys. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-02221-1 (2023).
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Biofilm self-organization arises from active boundary shaping. Nat. Phys. 19, 1771–1772 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-02222-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-02222-0
