Oxygen Limitation within a Bacterial Aggregate Aimee K. Wessel,a,e Talha A. Arshad,b Mignon Fitzpatrick,c Jodi L. Connell,a,e Roger T. Bonnecaze,b Jason B. Shear,c,d Marvin Whiteleya,d,e Departments of Molecular Biosciences,a Chemical Engineering,b and Chemistry and Biochemistry,c University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USAd; Center for Infectious Disease, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USAe
ABSTRACT Cells within biofilms exhibit physiological heterogeneity, in part because of chemical gradients existing within these spatially structured communities. Previous work has examined how chemical gradients develop in large biofilms containing >108 cells. However, many bacterial communities in nature are composed of small, densely packed aggregates of cells (
ABSTRACT Cells within biofilms exhibit physiological heterogeneity, in part because of chemical gradients existing within these spatially structured communities. Previous work has examined how chemical gradients develop in large biofilms containing >108 cells. However, many bacterial communities in nature are composed of small, densely packed aggregates of cells (
