Researchers from Innopolis University, together with colleagues from the Technical University of Munich, have developed a mathematical model that explains how bacteria form spatially organized communities attached to surfaces. This discovery advances the development of new methods for combating dangerous infections.

Bacteria aggregate into dense films on surfaces—for example, catheters, implants, or medical equipment. In this state, they become hundreds of times more resistant to antibiotics than they would be individually.

Until now, scientists have been unable to accurately describe how these films grow. The new model proposed by the Innopolis team is the first to integrate these processes into a single system.

The main value of this development is practical: understanding the mechanisms will allow us to predict bacterial behavior in real-world conditions and develop alternative methods of protection when antibiotics are ineffective.

This is especially important for hospital environments, where such infections most frequently occur. The model will help develop new strategies for combating them—not through drugs, but by controlling the growth process of bacterial communities. The development was published in the scientific journal «Computers in Biology and Medicine».