From household shower drains to water filtration systems bacterial biofilms are found growing in nearly every porous material. Until now, little was known about the mechanism that influenced the dynamic flow paths within biofilms. Researchers at ETH Zurich (the top-ranked university in continental Europe) and Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology) show that the competition between hydrodynamics and microbial growth governs the opening and closing of preferential flow paths. This discovery advances research in bio-clogging of porous materials and has potential impact for flow and chemical transport within medical, environmental, and technological settings
Watch the ETH Zurich / Eawag PPformation And Intermittency Animation here
Do you have an article or video that you would like to share? Submit your article here or keep up with the latest news from the water industry and wastewater industry by subscribing to our weekly newsletter
