Felix Niels Albert Klempt, M. Sc.

Microorganisms, and bacteria in particular, are among the most successful life forms. They usually live in a dense community consisting of different species and additional extracellular polymeric substances, so-called biofilms. Some biofilms are beneficial and are hence used in a wide range of technical applications. Other biofilms, however, can be harmful to human health. People who have received an implant are particularly vulnerable, as biofilms can form in hard-to-reach areas on the implant surface and, in the worst case, lead to implant failure. To better understand harmful biofilms and their growth as well as to elaborate strategies to combat them, computer simulations have proven to be a valuable tool. We at IKM thus develop a material model that can depict the growth of biofilms by means of computer simulations with sufficient accuracy, This enables more efficient experiments and therapeutic approaches to be developed and applied in collaboration with microbiologists.