Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32170131›Full record

ArticleNature communications2020

Dynamics of bacterial population growth in biofilms resemble spatial and structural aspects of urbanization.

Amauri J Paula, Geelsu Hwang, Hyun Koo

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
70citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

70 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. From predicted bacteriocins to ecological function.Current research in microbial sciences · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Comprehensive Analysis ofFood science & nutrition · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Living Hydrogels: Harnessing Microorganism-Material Synergy for Next-Generation Therapeutics.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Reproducible 3D bioprinting ofMicrobiology spectrum · 2025
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Amauri J PaulaSolid-Biological Interface Group (SolBIN), Department of Physics, Universidade Federal do Ceará, P.O. Box 6030, 60455-900, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. amaurijp@gmail.com.
Geelsu HwangBiofilm Research Labs, Levy Center for Oral Health, Department of Orthodontics, Divisions of Pediatric Dentistry and Community Oral Health, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. geelsuh@upenn.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7277-5639
Hyun KooBiofilm Research Labs, Levy Center for Oral Health, Department of Orthodontics, Divisions of Pediatric Dentistry and Community Oral Health, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. koohy@upenn.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9143-2076

Funding

S. mutans-C. albicans interactions synergize the virulence of cariogenic biofilmsR01DE025220 · NIDCR · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI KOO, HYUN · 2015 to 2019
$2.0M
Enzymatic approach for targeting mannans/EPS to disrupt cross-kingdom cariogR01DE027970 · NIDCR · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI HWANG, GEELSU · 2018 to 2022
$1.7M
NIDCR NIH HHS R01 DE025220NIDCR NIH HHS R01 DE027970
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Biofilms develop from bacteria bound on surfaces that grow into structured communities (microcolonies). Although surface topography is known to affect bacterial colonization, how multiple individual settlers develop into microcolonies simultaneously remains underexplored. Here, we use multiscale population-growth and 3D-morphometric analyses to assess the spatiotemporal development of hundreds of bacterial colonizers towards submillimeter-scale microcolony communities. Using an oral bacterium (Streptococcus mutans), we find that microbial cells settle on the surface randomly under sucrose-rich conditions, regardless of surface topography. However, only a subset of colonizers display clustering behavior and growth following a power law. These active colonizers expand three-dimensionally by amalgamating neighboring bacteria into densely populated microcolonies. Clustering and microcolony assembly are dependent on exopolysaccharides, while population growth dynamics and spatial structure are affected by cooperative or antagonistic microbes. Our work suggests that biofilm assembly resembles certain spatial-structural features of urbanization, where population growth and expansion can be influenced by type of settlers, neighboring cells, and further community merging and scaffolding occurring at various scales.

Indexed as

BacteriaBiofilmsImage Processing, Computer-AssistedImaging, Three-DimensionalMicroscopy, ConfocalPolysaccharides, BacterialStreptococcus mutansSucroseUrbanizationPolysaccharides, BacterialSucrose

Identifiers

PMID32170131
PMCPMC7070081

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.