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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Biophysical Characterization of Flagellar Motor Functions
Published on: January 18, 2017
Decoding Bacterial Motility: From Swimming States to Patterns and Chemotactic Strategies
Xiang-Yu Zhuang1,2, Chien-Jung Lo1,2
1Department of Physics and Center for Complex Systems, National Central University, Zhongli, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan.
None:
The bacterial flagellum serves as a crucial propulsion apparatus for motility and chemotaxis. Bacteria employ complex swimming patterns to perform essential biological tasks. These patterns involve transitions between distinct swimming states, driven by flagellar motor rotation, filament polymorphism, and variations in flagellar arrangement and configuration. Over the past two decades, advancements in fluorescence staining technology applied to bacterial flagella have led to the discovery of diverse bacterial movement states and intricate swimming patterns. This review provides a comprehensive overview of nano-filament observation methodologies, swimming states, swimming patterns, and the physical mechanisms underlying chemotaxis. These novel insights and ongoing research have the potential to inspire the design of innovative active devices tailored for operation in low-Reynolds-number environments.
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