Spatial organization of biomass controls intrinsic permeability of porous systems
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866910267129987072 |
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| author | Jiao, Wenqiao Scheidweiler, David Delouche, Nolwenn Guadagnini, Alberto de Anna, Pietro |
| author_facet | Jiao, Wenqiao Scheidweiler, David Delouche, Nolwenn Guadagnini, Alberto de Anna, Pietro |
| contents | Biofilms in porous media critically influence hydraulic properties in environmental and engineered systems. However, a mechanistic understanding of how microbial life controls permeability remains elusive. By combining microfluidics, controlled pressure gradient and time-lapse microscopy, we quantify how motile and non-motile bacteria colonize a porous landscape and alter its resistance to flow. We find that while both strains achieve nearly identical total biomass, they cause drastically different permeability reductions - 78% for motile cells versus 94% for non-motile cells. This divergence stems from motility, which limits biomass spatial accumulation, whereas non-motile cells clog the entire system. We develop a mechanistic model that accurately predicts permeability dynamics from the pore-scale biomass distribution. We conclude that the spatial organization of biomass, not its total amount, is the primary factor controlling permeability. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_27262 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Spatial organization of biomass controls intrinsic permeability of porous systems Jiao, Wenqiao Scheidweiler, David Delouche, Nolwenn Guadagnini, Alberto de Anna, Pietro Biological Physics Materials Science Applied Physics Fluid Dynamics Biofilms in porous media critically influence hydraulic properties in environmental and engineered systems. However, a mechanistic understanding of how microbial life controls permeability remains elusive. By combining microfluidics, controlled pressure gradient and time-lapse microscopy, we quantify how motile and non-motile bacteria colonize a porous landscape and alter its resistance to flow. We find that while both strains achieve nearly identical total biomass, they cause drastically different permeability reductions - 78% for motile cells versus 94% for non-motile cells. This divergence stems from motility, which limits biomass spatial accumulation, whereas non-motile cells clog the entire system. We develop a mechanistic model that accurately predicts permeability dynamics from the pore-scale biomass distribution. We conclude that the spatial organization of biomass, not its total amount, is the primary factor controlling permeability. |
| title | Spatial organization of biomass controls intrinsic permeability of porous systems |
| topic | Biological Physics Materials Science Applied Physics Fluid Dynamics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.27262 |