Fig. 3. Hyphal growth rates by the fungal species over time—measured in the section of the chip with straight channels of different widths (Fig. 2a).

a Comparison of the mean growth rate of the different species in colonised 10-µm-wide straight channels, n = 6. b Comparison of mean growth rates in straight channels of different width (20, 15, 10, 8, 6 and 4 µm) for C. angulatus, which did not show a significant difference in advancement between different widths (p = 0.52), c similar comparison for G. confluens that advanced significantly shorter distances in narrower channels (p < 0.0001). Error bars show ±1 SEM.