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. 2018 Dec 7;4(12):eaau1459. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aau1459

Fig. 3. Biofouling dynamics of the control, E. coli/pYYDT, and light-responsive, E. coli/pYYDT-RB, strains on FO membrane in membrane flow cell.

Fig. 3

(A) The CLSM-compatible membrane flow cell for nondestructive monitoring of biofouling dynamics on membranes. The device contains three independent channels, with each channel separated into two chambers by a flat sheet membrane. (B) CLSM images of biofilms formed on the FO membrane at 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours. The blue line represents biofilms formed after 24 hours of incubation under blue light, and the red line represents biofilms formed after 24 hours of incubation under NIR light. Each CLSM image contains one top-down view (x-y plane) and two side views (x-z and y-z planes). Scale bar, 20 μm. (C) Biofilm biovolume (expressed as biovolume per unit base area) and (D) biofilm thickness. (E) Comparisons of permeate flux through membranes at different time points. The gray, blue, and red zones represent incubation in the dark and under blue light and NIR light, respectively. Experiments were conducted in triplicate, and for each replicate, five representative images were acquired and quantified. Error bar represents SD. *P < 0.05 and ***P < 0.0005, Student’s t test.