Floating colonies: Engineering 3D microbial architectures in liquid cultures

Microbes in the gut, lungs and biofilms do not simply exist as perfectly mixed populations; instead, they grow in layered and clustered three-dimensional (3D) arrangements. This spatial organization shapes how nutrients and chemical signals move between neighboring cells and how much oxygen different microbes can access. Scientists are increasingly recognizing that the relative spatial arrangement of microbes plays a role in digestion, immunity and overall health.