Planktonic versus attached population
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Microbes can live free as planktonic populations or be attached to a surface as attached populations. During different phases of colonisation of a population these states may change.
Planktonic (free-living) populations:
- can more easily colonize new environments
Attached populations:
- May be protected from predators
- are anchored so that the microbe can be flushed with nutrition or an energy-source and not be surrounded by the same particles.
- may be attached to a nutrition- and energy-source.
- Bioleaching microbes may be attached to a sulfide surface (like pyrite) where they gain energy by bioleaching reactions by the contact mechanism
- Attachment matters in heap-bioleaching. Percolation of a heap may flush the microbes away unless they are attached ...
