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Colloids and Suspensions

Colloids and Suspensions

Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles visible to the naked eye or seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. The suspended particles in a suspension settle out after some time of mixing. The separation of particles from a suspension is...

Colloids

Colloids

Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. On the other hand, a solution is a homogeneous mixture in which no settling occurs and in which the dissolved...

Biofilms

Biofilms

Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms encased in a self-produced extracellular polysaccharide matrix attached to surfaces. These microbial consortia can include single or multiple species, providing enhanced survival benefits by forming organized, multilayered structures.The formation of biofilms occurs through four key stages: attachment, colonization, development, and dispersal.During attachment, free-swimming planktonic cells adhere to a surface, often facilitated by...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 11, 2025

Protocol for Biofilm Streamer Formation in a Microfluidic Device with Micro-pillars

Protocol for Biofilm Streamer Formation in a Microfluidic Device with Micro-pillars

Published on: August 20, 2014

Bacterial streamers as colloidal systems: Five grand challenges.

Udita U Ghosh¹, Hessein Ali², Ranajay Ghosh²

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science

|March 25, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Bacteria form resilient streamers in biofilms, transforming under hydrodynamic stress. This study reviews their formation, material behavior, and identifies key scientific challenges in understanding these flow-induced colloidal structures.

Keywords:

Biofilm Colloidal streamers Flocculation Flow-induced colloidal structures Interfaces Microdevices Soft composites Viscoelastic behavior

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Last Updated: Nov 11, 2025

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Published on: May 28, 2007

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Colloidal Science
Fluid Dynamics

Background:

Bacteria form complex communities within biofilms, encased in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS).
Hydrodynamic stresses can alter these bacterial-EPS composites into flow-induced colloidal structures known as streamers.
Bacterial streamers form in diverse flow conditions, while abiotic analogues are observed in low Reynolds number polymeric flows.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce the concept of deformable 'bacteria-EPS' composites as a subclass of flow-induced colloidal structures.
To critically review the biophysical aspects and material behavior of streamer formation.
To identify significant scientific challenges in the field of bacterial streamers.

Main Methods:

This perspective article synthesizes existing research on bacterial streamers and their abiotic analogues.
It reviews the biophysical mechanisms governing streamer formation.
The study analyzes the material properties and behavior of these composite structures.

Main Results:

Bacterial streamers are versatile, deformable structures formed by bacteria and EPS under various hydrodynamic conditions.
Abiotic streamer formation is primarily observed in low Reynolds number particle-laden polymeric flows.
The formation and behavior of streamers are influenced by the interplay of colloidal hydrodynamics and device geometry.

Conclusions:

Streamer formation is a relevant phenomenon in natural environments and technological applications, including biomedical devices and filtration.
Understanding the coupling between flow, material properties, and geometry is crucial for predicting and controlling streamer formation.
Five grand scientific challenges are highlighted, emphasizing the need for further research into these complex colloidal structures.