Population and Ordering Dynamics in Bacterial Intestinal Infection

细菌性肠道感染的种群和排序动态

• 批准号: 1205494
• 负责人: Erel Levine
• 金额: $ 45万
• 依托单位: Harvard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-01 至 2016-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1205494&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Population; Ordering; Dynamics; Bacterial; Intestinal

In this project the PI will study the population and information dynamics that drive the infection of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans by the opportunistic bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The worm offers advantages as a host model: its geometry is simple and it is easy to cultivate and image, while mechanism of infection and innate immune response are evolutionary conserved. The physical locomotion of bacteria within the host, their sensation of the host environment, and their adaptation and collective response will be imaged and quantified. Data will be analyzed and compiled into a theoretical framework, inspired by the physics of population dynamics and the statistical mechanics of ordering phenomena in disordered systems. This project will provide detailed description of within-host bacterial dynamics, believed to be key determinant in evolution of virulence and resistance to infection. While the project will focus on infection of C. elegans, emerging theoretical concepts are expected to be broadly applicable. Novel tools will be developed to permit long-term high-resolution imaging. The true interdisciplinary nature of the project and the general interest in pathogenesis bear the potential to attract a diverse cohort of students. The PI will develop a new course intended for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, which will discuss a spectrum of dynamical biological systems and develop the theoretical and practical aspects of modeling a complex biological system. The PI will establish a discussion group to accompany the project, composed of undergraduate students and public school teachers.This project is being jointly supported by the Physics of Living Systems program in the Division of Physics and the Physiological and Structural Systems in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems.

在这个项目中，PI将研究驱动机会性细菌铜绿假单胞菌感染秀丽隐杆线虫的种群和信息动态。蠕虫作为宿主模型具有几何结构简单、易于培养和成像、感染机制和先天免疫反应进化保守等优点。细菌在宿主内的物理运动，它们对宿主环境的感觉，以及它们的适应和集体反应将被成像和量化。受人口动力学物理学和无序系统中有序现象的统计力学的启发，数据将被分析并汇编成一个理论框架。该项目将提供宿主内细菌动力学的详细描述，被认为是毒力和抗感染进化的关键决定因素。虽然该项目将重点关注秀丽隐杆线虫的感染，但新兴的理论概念有望广泛适用。将开发新的工具来实现长期的高分辨率成像。该项目的真正跨学科性质和对发病机制的普遍兴趣具有吸引不同学生群体的潜力。PI将为高级本科生和研究生开发一门新课程，该课程将讨论动态生物系统的频谱，并发展复杂生物系统建模的理论和实践方面。PI将建立一个由本科生和公立学校教师组成的讨论小组，以配合该项目。本项目由物理学部的生命系统物理学项目和综合有机体系统学部的生理和结构系统共同支持。