Figure 3. Growth controls the formation of channels through buckling-delamination.
(a) Phase-contrast images of the experiment conducted to investigate the role of biofilm growth in channel formation. At the nutrient solution is replaced with a nutrient-depleted salt solution to stop growth. At the salt solution is replaced with the original nutrient solution. The graph shows the number of channels, , as a function of time and nutrient availability. (b) Schematic representation of the buckling-delamination mechanism during channel formation in P. aeruginosa biofilm in a microfluidic device.