{"674572":{"#nid":"674572","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Pablo Bravo","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDoctor of Philosophy in Quantitative Biosciences\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003Ein the School of Physics\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPablo Bravo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDefends his thesis:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETopographic Characterization of Biofilm Growth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nTuesday, May 21, 2024\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E10:00 am ET\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHowey N201\/202\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/j\/98166092376?pwd=NnhRd2hMQUxMTzZvdktmUmY4UjEyUT09\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/j\/98166092376?pwd=NnhRd2hMQUxMTzZvdktmUmY4UjEyUT09\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAdvisor:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPeter Yunker, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECommittee Members:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBrian Hammer, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJennifer Curtis, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESam Brown, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EItamar Kolvin, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAbstract:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBiofilms are ubiquitous in nature and have significant impacts on ecosystems, human health, and various industries. However, their complex three-dimensional structure and heterogeneous composition pose challenges for accurate measurements and modeling. Using white light interferometry, we measure the heights of microbial colonies with nanometer precision from inoculation to their final equilibrium height, producing a detailed empirical characterization of the biofilm-air interface. We characterized universal dynamics in the vertical growth defined by two regimes: exponentially early on until a given thickness, and then growth decreases linearly until it stops. We propose a simple model based on the formation of a finite-size growth layer, which captures the dynamics over short and long timescales. Furthermore, we observed that the biofilm-air interface exhibits a unique topographic \u0022freezing\u0022 phenomenon, previously undescribed in physics and biology, that makes biofilms smoother than polished steel. We postulate that this freezing, even when colonies are still developing, is a product of mechanical damping of fluctuations that arise from the finite-size growth layer across the growing colony. These studies provide a foundation for understanding the complex spatiotemporal dynamics of biofilms via precise measurements of their topographies. This interdisciplinary work combines cutting-edge experimental techniques with physically-motivated models to uncover fundamental aspects of biofilm physiology. The findings contribute to our basic understanding of microbial communities and have potential implications for diverse applications in healthcare, biotechnology, and environmental science.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETopographic Characterization of Biofilm Growth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Topographic Characterization of Biofilm Growth"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2024-05-07 19:51:48","changed_gmt":"2024-05-07 19:52:18","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2024-05-21T10:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2024-05-21T12:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2024-05-21T12:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2024-05-21 14:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2024-05-21 16:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2024-05-21 16:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Howey N201\/202","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}