RT Journal Article
T1 Diffusion of tracer particles in early growing biofilms a computer simulation study
A1 García Daza, Fabián A.
A1 Rodríguez-Rivas, Álvaro
A1 Govantes, Fernando
A1 Cuetos, Alejandro
K1 Tracer
K1 Diffusion
K1 Biofilm
K1 Microrheology
K1 Computer simulation IBM model
AB The diffusion of particles in complex media has gained significant interest due to its dual relevance: probing the viscoelastic properties of materials via microrheology and assessing the extent of particle displacement over time. In this work, we explore the early-stage diffusion of a tracer particle within a developing bacterial biofilm using implicit-solvent Brownian dynamics simulations. At these initial stages, bacterial colonies form twodimensional structures that expand through cell growth and division. Employing an agent-based computational model (IbM), we analyze the passive diffusion of a spherical tracer within colonies of varying compaction levels. Our findings reveal that, at very short timescales, tracer diffusion follows a standard diffusive regime, modulated by colony aging. However, at longer times, the dominant factor governing tracer motion is colony growth, which effectively confines the tracer within the expanding structure, except in cases where the microcolony is highly  unstructured or the tracer is sufficiently small. Additionally, through MR techniques, we quantify the elastic and viscous moduli of the growing microcolony, offering insight into its evolving viscoelastic behavior.
PB Elsevier
YR 2025
FD 2025-07-07
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10433/24415
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10433/24415
LA en
NO Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 255 (2025) 114903
NO Proyectos de investigaciónPID2021-126121NB-I00
NO Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales
NO Centro de Nanociencias y Tecnologías Sostenibles (CNATS)
DS RIO
RD May 8, 2026