Emergence of order and structure in biofilms growing in fluid shear

In many situations bacteria aggregate to form biofilms: dense, surface-associated, three-dimensional structures populated by cells embedded in matrix. Biofilm architectures are sculpted by mechanical processes including cell growth, cell-cell interactions and external forces. Using single-cell live imaging in combination with simulations we characterize the cell-cell and cell-flow interactions that generate Vibrio cholerae biofilm morphologies. Our results demonstrate the importance of dynamics at multiple scales in determining the architectures of biofilms in flow.