Growth and morphology of biological thin films

Biological thin films of Escherichia coli are grown on different substrates from a solution which is incubated with bacteria and contains also the nutrient for the bacteria to grow and to divide. The biofilm growth is investigated by light and scanning force microscopy. The results show that the resulting surface structures are substrate dependent both in terms of morphology and coverage. A Monte Carlo simulation model for the growth process is developed and compared to the experimental results. q1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved