Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 7, 2026

Combining Fluidic Devices with Microscopy and Flow Cytometry to Study Microbial Transport in Porous Media Across Spatial Scales
Published on: November 25, 2020
Bayesian process-identification in bacteria transport in porous media
Arash Massoudieh1, Nanxi Lu, Xiaomeng Liang
1Department of Civil Engineering, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, United States.
This study introduces a Bayesian approach for estimating colloid and bacterial transport parameters in porous media. Simultaneous fitting of multiple breakthrough curves (BTCs) reduces parameter uncertainty and improves model consistency.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geosciences
- Microbiology
Background:
- Colloid and bacterial transport in porous media is crucial for understanding contaminant fate and microbial ecology.
- Accurate parameter estimation is essential for developing reliable fate and transport models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply a Bayesian parameter estimation approach for joint probability distribution functions of colloid and bacterial transport.
- To evaluate model complexity and the significance of transport processes using Deviance Information Criteria (DIC).
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous fitting of multiple breakthrough curves (BTCs) under varying ionic strengths.
- Bayesian parameter estimation for colloid and bacterial transport models of increasing complexity.
- Application to Azotobacter vinelandii transport in simulated porous media.
Main Results:
- Including detachment significantly improved model fit (DIC).
- A second-order blocking function improved fit for individual BTCs but not collectively.
- Collective application of the model reduced parameter uncertainty and improved consistency.
Conclusions:
- The Bayesian approach provides a robust method for estimating transport parameters and assessing model structure.
- Simultaneous fitting of multiple BTCs enhances parameter estimation accuracy and reliability.
- Understanding bacterial transport dynamics is critical for environmental risk assessment.
Related Concept Videos
Pore Transport and Ion-Pair Transport
Pore transport, also known as convective transport, is a process where small molecules like urea, water, and sugars rapidly cross cell membranes as though there were channels or pores in the membrane. Although direct microscopic evidence is limited but the concept of pores or channels is widely accepted based on physiological evidence. Despite the lack of direct microscopic...
Bacterial Translocation and Protein Secretion
The Significance of Membrane Transport
Transporters facilitate either an active or passive movement of solutes. They can allow a single-molecule transport down its...

