Scalable Flow Reactors for Stable Biofilm Formation and Continuous Whole-Cell Catalysis

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Stable biofilms are crucial for continuous whole-cell biocatalysis but are difficult to control.
• Existing methods face challenges in controlled formation and long-term operation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a scalable microfluidic reactor platform for robust biofilm formation using flow-induced deposition.
• To understand the role of microscale hydrodynamics and extracellular DNA in biofilm architecture and stability.

Main Methods:

• Systematic scaling of microfluidic reactor geometries.
• Computational fluid dynamics simulations to analyze flow patterns.
• Fluorescence microscopy and enzymatic treatment to study biofilm structure and composition.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated successful generation of stratified biofilms enriched in extracellular DNA.
• Identified extracellular DNA as critical for initial biofilm matrix assembly.
• Achieved stable, catalytically active biofilms for at least 28 days under continuous flow.

Conclusions:

• Flow-structured microreactors offer a generalizable strategy for hydrodynamically controlled biofilm engineering.
• This approach links microscale flow fields to biofilm stability and catalytic function.
• Provides a foundation for scalable continuous whole-cell biocatalysis.