A Microfluidic Platform to Study Bioclogging in Porous Media

Bacterial biofilms are found in several environmental and industrial porous media, including soils and filtration membranes. Biofilms grow under certain flow conditions and can clog pores, thereby redirecting the local fluid flow. The ability of biofilms to clog pores, the so-called bioclogging, can have a tremendous effect on the local permeability of the porous medium, creating a pressure buildup in the system, and impacting the mass flow through it. To understand the interplay between biofilm growth and fluid flow under different physical conditions (e.g., at different flow velocities and pore sizes), in the present study, a microfluidic platform is developed to visualize biofilm development using a microscope under externally-imposed, controlled physical conditions. The biofilm-induced pressure buildup in the porous medium can be measured simultaneously using pressure sensors and, later, correlated with the surface coverage of the biofilm. The presented platform provides a baseline for a systematic approach to investigate bioclogging caused by biofilms in porous media under flow conditions and can be adapted to studying environmental isolates or multispecies biofilms.