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A computational framework for investigating bacteria transport in microvasculature
Peter Windes1, Danesh K Tafti1, Bahareh Behkam1,2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering
|April 29, 2022
Summary
Bacterial motility significantly enhances bacteria
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Computational Biology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Blood-borne bacteria spread through capillaries.
- Red blood cells (RBCs) and capillary size influence bacterial transport.
- Bacteria motility's role in extravasation is poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To computationally model bacteria transport within capillaries.
- To investigate the effect of bacterial motility on extravasation.
Main Methods:
- Immersed Boundary Method (IBM) for capillary, RBC, and bacteria.
- Temporal multiscale simulation for disparate time scales.
- Hierarchical algorithm for collision detection.
Main Results:
- Motile bacteria exhibited outward radial velocity (2.8 µm/s).
- Non-motile bacteria showed inward radial velocity (-0.5 µm/s).
- Motility promotes bacteria escape from the central flow and marginate.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial motility increases propensity for extravasation from capillaries.
- Motility is a key factor in bacteria dissemination and tissue invasion.
