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Running and tumbling with E. coli in polymeric solutions
A E Patteson1, A Gopinath1,2, M Goulian3
1Department of Mechanical Engineering &Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Scientific Reports
|October 29, 2015
Summary
Polymeric solutions alter bacterial motility. Escherichia coli (E. coli) tumble less and swim faster in these fluids, enhancing their transport. Fluid properties control cell movement.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biophysics
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Microorganisms like E. coli use run-and-tumble motility for navigation.
- Understanding how external factors affect this motility is crucial for predicting microbial transport.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of polymeric solutions on E. coli run-and-tumble dynamics.
- To elucidate the roles of fluid viscosity and elasticity in modulating bacterial movement.
Main Methods:
- Experimental observation of E. coli in various polymeric solutions.
- Analysis of cell velocity, tumbling frequency, and diffusion coefficients.
- Visualization of DNA polymer stretching by bacterial flow.
Main Results:
- Polymeric solutions significantly alter E. coli dynamics, reducing tumbling and increasing swimming speed.
- Fluid viscosity suppresses tumbling, while elasticity enhances swimming velocity.
- Bacterial flow stretches DNA polymers, creating elastic stresses that enhance cell transport.
Conclusions:
- Fluid material properties, specifically viscosity and elasticity, independently control bacterial transport.
- Polymer-induced elastic stresses can enhance the motility and spread of chemotactic cells.
- This work offers insights into controlling microbial behavior through engineered fluid environments.
