Fig. 1.

Physical heterogeneities of biofilms: biofilms are heterogeneous in their composition. a Biofilms are made of reinforcements (bacteria) surrounded with matrix (EPS). The influence of the scale of the mechanical study is not insignificant. Moreover, metabolic gradients (oxygen, nutrient, physical stress, etc.) result in heterogeneity in mechanical parameters. b A focus on the internal composition reveals that EPS matrix is made of many components. Entanglements of molecules within the EPS matrix have a key role in the biofilm behavior