Theory 21/Microbiology
Dispersal Follows Nutrient Depletion
The claim
Biofilm dispersal is triggered when the ratio of nutrient depletion to matrix degradation capacity crosses a threshold, so a well-fed biofilm stays put even when crowded.
01Mechanism
Matrix holds cells while nutrients sustain them; when depletion outpaces the colony's ability to break down its own matrix, dispersal begins.
02Predictions
- P1Dispersal should track the ratio.
- P2Cell density alone should mispredict.
03Refutation
Dispersal tracking density would remove the nutrient term.
04Why it resists the grid
A collective that behaves like an organism but is dissolved by its own decision to leave.