Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026
06:33
Three-dimensional Imaging of Bacterial Cells for Accurate Cellular Representations and Precise Protein Localization
Published on: October 29, 2019
A 3D motile rod-shaped monotrichous bacterial model
1Center for Computational Science, Department of Mathematics, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA. chsu1@tulane.edu
Bulletin of Mathematical Biology
|April 4, 2009
Summary
This study presents a 3D computational model of a swimming bacterium, simulating its movement and interactions using fluid dynamics. The model accurately captures bacterial motility and hydrodynamic forces for single cells and small clusters.
Area of Science:
- Computational Biology
- Biophysics
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Bacterial motility is crucial for infection and biofilm formation.
- Understanding microbial hydrodynamics informs disease progression and treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel 3D computational model of a motile, rod-shaped bacterium with a single polar flagellum.
- To simulate bacterial swimming dynamics and hydrodynamic interactions.
Main Methods:
- A 3D model of a monotrichous bacterium (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was created, featuring a cylindrical cell body and a rigid helical flagellum.
- Flagellar rotation generated forces and torques, balanced by counter-rotation of the cell body.
- The immersed boundary method was used to solve the 3D Navier-Stokes equations for fluid-microorganism interactions.
Main Results:
- Numerical convergence was studied.
- Simulations demonstrated the swimming of a single cell.
- Hydrodynamic interactions between two cells and a small cluster were analyzed.
Conclusions:
- The model provides a robust framework for studying bacterial hydrodynamics.
- This approach enables detailed analysis of microbial locomotion and collective behaviors.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Flagella and Motility in Bacteria
Flagella are specialized, thread-like structures that extend from a bacteria's cell envelope. They play a crucial role in motility and chemotaxis. Their structural organization and functioning exemplify sophisticated biological engineering, enabling bacterial survival and adaptability in diverse environments.Structure of the FlagellumA bacterial flagellum consists of three key components: the filament, the hook, and basal body. The filament, a long, helical structure composed of repeating...
01:29Microbial Morphologies
Bacterial and archaeal cells exhibit remarkable diversity in shape and structure, critical in their adaptability and functionality. Among bacteria, the most commonly observed shapes include cocci and bacilli. Cocci are spherical and may exist singly or in groupings such as pairs (diplococci), chains (streptococci), clusters (staphylococci), or tetrads. Bacilli, in contrast, are rod-shaped and can also occur as single cells, in pairs, or chains, depending on their environmental and genetic...
01:24Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes
The phylum Tenericutes, which includes the single class Mollicutes, comprises bacteria that lack cell walls. The term "Mollicutes" derives from the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft." These organisms are among the smallest known and are commonly referred to as mycoplasmas due to the prominence of the genus Mycoplasma, which includes well-known human pathogens. Despite their inability to stain gram-positively (a result of their lack of cell walls), mycoplasmas are phylogenetically related to the...
01:30Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes
Spirochetes, unique bacteria in the phylum Spirochaetes, are gram-negative, motile, tightly coiled, slender, and flexible. They inhabit aquatic sediments and animals, with some causing diseases like syphilis. Spirochetes are classified into eight genera based on habitat, pathogenicity, phylogeny, and characteristics.Their distinctive motility arises from endoflagella, located within the cell’s periplasm. These endoflagella anchor at the cell poles and extend along the cell length, encased by a...
01:30Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria
Coryneform bacteria are gram-positive, aerobic, nonmotile rods that exhibit irregular, club-shaped, or V-shaped arrangements. Their V-shape results from snapping division, where the inner cell wall layer forms the cross-wall, while the outer layer remains intact until it ruptures on one side, causing the daughter cells to bend away.The primary genera are Corynebacterium and Arthrobacter. Corynebacterium includes diverse species, ranging from saprophytes to pathogens like Corynebacterium...
01:10Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria
Intracellular bacteria and viruses often comprise a group of highly infectious pathogens that can cause several diseases. Bacterial pathogens include those belonging to the genus Rickettsia responsible for conditions such as rocky mountain spotted fever and the Mediterranean spotted fever; Chlamydia, a genus responsible for a sexually transmitted disease; Coxiella burnetii, an agent responsible for Q fever. Viral pathogens include vaccinia—a poxvirus, and herpes simplex virus—a virus that...