An approach combining single-cell imaging, agent-based simulations, and continuum mechanics theory is used to observe the effect of environmental stiffness on biofilm development. These measurements indicate that confined biofilms behave as active nematics, in which the internal organization and cell lineage are controlled by the shape and boundary of the biofilm.
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This is a summary of: Nijjer, J. et al. Biofilms as self-shaping growing nematics. Nat. Phys. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-02221-1 (2023).
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Biofilm self-organization arises from active boundary shaping. Nat. Phys. 19, 1771–1772 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-02222-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-02222-0
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