Biofilms are collections of micro-organisms residing within a self-produced matrix of fluid and other substances. Although biofilms can be beneficial (e.g. in water treatment and biofuels), they have severe negative impacts including bacterial and fungal infections, biofouling on marine vessels, and food contamination. Biofilms are complex materials that are difficult to remove, which motivates continued research into their mechanisms of growth.
My research develops models for mat formation of the yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We first applied a reaction—diffusion model to predict floral colony shape. We then incorporated mechanics by deriving a multiphase fluid model for a growing biofilm, and investigated solutions in both the extensional flow and lubrication thin-film regimes.