Thesis
Three-dimensional biofilm image reconstruction for assessing structural parameters
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2018
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/102878
Abstract
Parameters representing three-dimensional biofilm structure are quantified from confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) images. These 3D parameters are mathematical functions that describe the distribution of biomass pixels within the space occupied by a biofilm; however, they lack a physical connection to biofilm activity. As a result, a trend is observed in the literature in which researchers choose a handful of parameters without there being a consensus on a standard set of parameters. In other words, parameter selection is a random process. We hypothesized that the selected 3D parameters describing the physical structure of a biofilm could be used to reconstruct an original biofilm image and that the reconstructed and original biofilm images would have similar activities. To test this hypothesis, an algorithm was developed to reconstruct a biofilm image stack (called a reconstructed biofilm image) with parameters identical to those of the CLSM image stack (called the original biofilm image) of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms. The success of biofilm image reconstruction was assessed by comparing the activities of real and reconstructed biofilm images. The biofilm activities and substrate concentration depth profiles of the image pair were simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics finite element analysis (FEM) software. We found that biofilm images with identical structural parameters showed nearly identical activities and substrate concentration profiles. This implies that the set containing all common structural parameters can successfully describe biofilm structure. This finding is significant, as it opens the avenue to the next step of finding a smaller standard set of biofilm structural parameters that can be used by researchers to compare biofilm structure in their studies.
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Details
- Title
- Three-dimensional biofilm image reconstruction for assessing structural parameters
- Creators
- Ahmed Ben-Sahil
- Contributors
- H. Beyenal (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525063601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis