Figure 3.
The fitness effects of displacement by other cells. (a) Relative fitness of the more adhesive genotype A when nutrients diffuse from above and below the biofilm. Grey boxplots represent control simulations, in which competing genotypes are equally adhesive, and red boxplots summarise simulations for which A is more adhesive than B; the dashed line corresponds to no fitness difference. ***P<10−6 and O: P>0.4, sign test for difference from zero. Snapshots of simulations in which nutrients diffuse from above (b) or below (c) showing the nutrient gradients arising from consumption in biofilms growing on an impenetrable surface (dashed red line).