Biofilms and flow (275911)

  https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/275911

  FP7 (2007-2013)

  An integrative study on the distribution, morphology and composition of biofilms under the influence of secondary flows around flow obstructions

  Marie Curie Action: "International Outgoing Fellowships for Career Development" (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IOF)

  wastewater treatment processes  ·  bacteriology  ·  desalination  ·  implants

  2011-09-01 Start Date (YY-MM-DD)

  2014-08-31 End Date (YY-MM-DD)

  € 241,237 Total Cost

  Description

Biofilms are bacteria consortia, embedded in a self-secreted 'gel' matrix which provides bacteria with significant advantages for their survival and proliferation. Owing to this successful strategy, biofilms may be found virtually anywhere, provided some nutrients are available. Beneficial examples include biofilm-based wastewater treatment systems. On the 'negative' side, biofilms may cause disease transmission or trigger infections from medical implants; biofilms are a cause for increased resistance of heat-exchange equipment and clogging of filtration columns, water distribution pipes, drip-irrigation emitters and, the focus of this study - membrane separation modules. The latter are of particularly great importance as state-of-the-art technology for water treatment and desalination. Owing to this wide range of applications, biofilms have been extensively studied. In spite of these efforts, the interplay between the characteristics of a velocity field and biofilm distribution and composition remain largely illusive, particularly in complex velocity fields, such as those arising in the presence of flow obstructions. The overreaching goal of this project is to develop a mechanistic, quantitative approach to understanding the effect of hydrodynamics on bacterial deposition and biofilm development in the presence of a flow obstruction; a micro-fluidic approach will be developed for characterizing biofilm development under various hydrodynamic and physico-chemical conditions. Concurrently, two- and three-dimensional simulations of the flow field will be performed, so as to connect hydrodynamic characteristics, such as secondary flows, to the deposition patterns as well as biofilm morphology and composition. The model system to be considered will have direct implication for the design and operation of membrane-based desalting. However, in a wider context, the methodology developed may be applied to study biofilms in any other flowing systems.

  Complicit Organisations

1 Israeli organisation participates in Biofilms and flow.