Is it selfish to be filamentous in biofilms? Individual-based modeling links microbial growth strategies with morphology using the new and modular iDynoMiCS 2.0
Fig 3
iDynoMiCS 2.0 was capable of simulating large 3D biofilms.
A nitrifying biofilm was initiated with 1,000 Ammonium Oxidizing Organisms (red) and 1,000 Nitrite Oxidizing Organisms (blue) in a 500x500x500 μm domain. Growth kinetics were adopted from Hubaux et al. [49]. Both species produced EPS particles (gray semi-transparent). Agents that dropped below 20% of their division mass as a result of endogenous respiration (maintenance metabolism) became inactive (black). The 175-day biofilm contained 1.02×107 agents (bacteria and EPS particles).