We study the biofilm-flow interaction resulting in biofilm growth and deformation
in a water channel in a 3-D setting using the phase field model developed
recently [28, 29]. In this biofilm model, the biofilm made up of the EPS, bacteria and
solvent is tracked using a biofilm volume fraction which vanishes outside the biofilm
region. The interface between the biofilm and the solvent is marked by the zero level
surface of the volume fraction measured from the biofilm to the solvent. The growth of
the biofilm and the solvent-biofilm interaction with the top nutrient feeding condition
is simulated in the viscous regime (growth regime) of the biofilm-solvent mixture flow.
In quiescent flows, the model predicts growth patterns consistent with experimental
findings for single or multiple adjacent biofilm colonies, in which the known mushroom
shape growth pattern is obtained. Shear induced deformation in biofilms is simulated
in a shear cell, providing a viable numerical evidence for using simulation tool to study
biofilm growth and interaction dynamics in aqueous environment.