Winstanley, H.F.Chapwanya, MichaelMcGuinness, M.J.Fowler, Andrew Cadle, 1953-2012-05-302012-05-302011-05Winstanley, HF, Chapwanya, M, McGuinness, MJ & Fowler, AC 2011, 'A polymer-solvent model of biofilm growth', Proceedings of the Royal Society A-Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences, vol. 467, no. 2129, pp. 1449-1467.1364-5021 (print)1471-2946 (online)10.1098/rspa.2010.0327http://hdl.handle.net/2263/19019We provide and analyse a model for the growth of bacterial biofilms based on the concept of extra-cellular polymeric substance (EPS) as a polymer solution, whose viscoelastic rheology is described by the classical Flory-Huggins theory. We show that one-dimensional solutions exist, which take the form at large times of travelling waves, and we characterise their form and speed in terms of the describing parameters of the problem. Numerical solutions of the time- dependent problem converge to the travelling wave solutions.en© 2010 The Royal SocietyFlory-Huggins theoryPolymer-solvent modelBiofilm growthExtracellular polymeric substances (EPS)Biofilms -- Mathematical modelsPostprint Article