First-of-its-kind computer model of bacterial biofilms could support antibiotic resistance research

The model has shown how Pseudomonas aeruginosa grows and reshapes its protective layer and spreads to new surfaces. The WHO estimates that bacterial antimicrobial resistance – where antibiotics are no longer effective – was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019 alone. 

In a study published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, researchers used BioDynaMo, an open-source simulation platform developed as part of an international collaboration involving the University of Surrey and partners worldwide, to create a three-dimensional agent-based model (ABM) that recreates how Pseudomonas aeruginosa forms biofilms.  

Biofilms are communities of bacteria encased in a protective sticky layer made up of sugars, proteins and DNA that allows them to cling to surfaces and resist antibiotics. For Pseudomonas aeruginosa, these biofilms commonly form in flowing environments such as catheters and plumbing systems. 

Unlike previous computer models, the Surrey-developed ABM captures how biofilms grow under constant fluid flow – similar to real-world conditions – and how the bacteria naturally break away from them to spread and colonise new surfaces. The team validated the simulation against laboratory experiments, demonstrating that it accurately reproduces the growth, structure and detachment patterns seen in real bacterial biofilms. 

As well as helping scientists study Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the modelling framework could be adapted to investigate other biofilm-forming bacteria and predict how factors such as fluid flow, surface design and bacterial behaviour influence the spread of infection.  

The research could help researchers optimise experiments, reduce laboratory costs and support the development of safer medical devices, hospital plumbing systems and other environments where harmful biofilms can form. 

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Notes to editors 

• Dr Roman Bauer and Ryan Bournes are available for interview; please contact mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk to arrange. 

• The study, "Agent-based modeling of erosion and sloughing during growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms", is published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes 

• The full paper can be found here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41522-026-01052-1  

• The article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence, which permits reuse, sharing and adaptation provided appropriate credit is given to the original authors and source.