Yan Wang's research while affiliated with Michigan Technological University and other places

... These initial biofilm organisms are known to produce exopolymers that assist the process of adhesion and movement (Molino and Wetherbee, 2008). So, the observed pattern of biofilm community development in natural systems (bacteria preceding algae) is more likely to be a reflection of the average abundance and the availability of the different colonizing forms at the moment of immersion of a new substratum (Gawne et al., 1998;Wahl, 1989). In view of this, considering the cell size, cell availability and cell abundance, since picophytoplankton are next to bacteria, it was hypothesized that picophytoplankton are the first autotrophic colonizers in biofilms contributing significantly to the biofilm photosynthetic biomass in the initial stages thereby playing an important role in the biofilm food web dynamics and probably in the production of exopolymers similar to bacteria and diatoms (Patil and Anil, 2005c). ...

... The best studied sessile adhesive materials are the stalks produced by the raphid diatom Achnanthes longipes, which is capable of active motility but often transitions to a sessile lifestyle. Stalk formation is believed to be triggered by overcrowding due to high cell density, because it enables the cells to rise above the underlying biofilm ( Fig. 8) (Wang et al. 1997(Wang et al. , 2000. The stalks are organized into three distinct regions that differ both in structure and composition (1) a surface attached pad, (2) a collar linked to the frustule via a terminal nodule or apical pore, and (3) a shaft between the cell and substratum (Daniel et al. 1987;Wang et al. 1997Wang et al. , 2000. ...

... Some diatoms are capable of sessile adhesion, wherein the cell will attach permanently to a single position through the formation of adhesive pads, tubes, and stalks ( Fig. 8) (Hoagland et al. 1993;Wang et al. 1997). Depending on the species and whether they are raphid, araphid, or centric diatoms, these adhesives structures are secreted from different cell wall structures such as the raphe, mantle edges, or pores in the apical end of the cell wall (Hoagland et al. 1993). ...