Bioflim modeling at the TU Delft

During biofilm development, a large number of phenomena occur simultaneously and interact over a large range of length and time scales. As a result of nutrient conversions, the biofilm expands based on bacterial growth and production of extracellular polymers. Chemical species need to be continuously transported to and from the biofilm system by physical processes such as molecular diffusion and convection. Fluid flow drives biofilm growth by regulating the concentrations of available substrates and products. On the other hand, the flow also shears the biofilm surface, and determines biofilm detachment processes. All these linked phenomena create a dynamic picture of the biofilm three-dimensional structure. The large number of localized interactions poses an important challenge for experimentalists. Mathematical models can prove useful because they allow testing of hypothesis and, in addition, can direct experimental efforts to complex regions of operation that can easily confound the general intuition. Although the word "modelling" is used for different purposes, the final result is invariably the same: models are no more than a simplified representation of reality based on hypotheses and equations used to rationalize observations. By providing a rational environment, models can lead to deeper and more general understanding. Ultimately, understanding the underlying principles becomes refined to such a state that it is possible to make accurate predictions.