We present a new mathematical model for the development of biofilm that extends the nonlinear density-dependent continuum model introduced by Eberl et al. in 2001. It is a coupled nonlinear density-dependent diffusion-reaction model for biomass spreading, describing the interaction of nutrient availability and biomass production. The model by Eberl has...
This work focuses primarily the development of methods for imaging microbial biofilms in opaque porous media using x-ray computed microtomography (CT). Two methods for evaluating biofilms in porous media are presented. The first focuses on the addition of silver-coated, hollow glass microspheres to a biofilm-containing micro-model. The silver-coated microspheres affix...
This work is a compilation of problems that deal with multiscale analysis of transport phenomena in environmental systems. A common feature among the problems studied here is the presence of non-negligible microscale structure in various forms. Each problem is approached from the perspective that a macroscopic observable encodes aspects of...
This study involves the development of a biofilm
reactor that supports growth of a deep biofilm on a gas
permeable membrane. The reactor solution is not aerated,
and oxygen is supplied through the membrane. The reactor
is termed a substratum-aerated-biofilm reactor or SAB.
With adequate concentrations of electron-donors and
electron-acceptors,...
It is known that soil biota affects water dynamics through various complex mechanisms. The impact on retention by soil biota are due to a combination of changes to pore geometry, pore clogging by biofilms, biofilms that serve to connect thin water films across many pores as the soil dries, and...
Soft matter encapsulates a large array of materials ranging from electronics, plastics, and cosmetics to the biofluids making up all organisms. One of the most important properties of these materials that dictate their functionality is their rheology, which is the flow and deformation behavior in response to stress. The focus...
Further enhancement of energy generation is desired for practical application of anaerobic microbial systems such as microbial fuel cells (MFC) and anaerobic digesters (AD). A possible approach is to enhance the ability of microbial communities to transfer electron extracellularly in the form of electrical current. Critical to perform direct extracellular...
Respiratory infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), especially Mycobacterium avium, can lead to progressive, recurrent disease that is refractory to therapy. Bacterial biofilms are intrinsically resistant to a variety of stressors and pressures, including host killing mechanisms and antibiotic therapy. Though it is becoming increasingly evident that NTM biofilms are...
Chlorinated low molecular weight solvents have been discovered in a number of the nation's groundwater supplies. Remediation of these aquifers will require some form of treatment. Presently, the dominant treatment method is air stripping which results in transfer of the solvent from the aqueous phase into the atmosphere. Biodegradation is...
Due to the effective antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles they represent a significant proportion of all consumer-‐related nanomaterials. The introduction of silver nanoparticles from these products into domestic and industrial wastewater streams poses potential complications for biological treatment systems. A critical component of biological treatment that is extremely sensitive to...