RUI: Investigation of Group Behaviors and Biofilm Formation of Photosynthetic Bacteria

RUI：光合细菌群体行为和生物膜形成的研究

• 批准号: 1205985
• 负责人: Rebecca Christianson
• 金额: $ 26.85万
• 依托单位: Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-15 至 2016-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1205985&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Investigation; Group; Behaviors; Biofilm

In this project, the PI will study the group behavior of photosynthetic bacteria that are growing in biofilms and in dense populations. The photosynthetic bacteria that are the subjects of this study, the anoxygenic phototroph Rhodopseudomonas palustris and the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, collectively carry out all major modes of metabolism that exist in the bacterial world. The PI will study the effects of different growth pressures on the pattern formation of these bacteria. The PI will grow and analyze the architecture of biofilms that are formed by photosynthetic bacteria which are growing in different metabolic modes. Mathematical models will be developed and compared to experiment to understand the physical principles that underlie the observed growth patterns. Experiments will also be performed to analyze in detail the collective motion of photosynthetic bacteria that are growing at high cell population densities, with system modifications inspired by photosynthetic biofilms. The research will explore a new range of parameter space for biologic pattern formation and collective bacterial motion, providing experimental evidence with which theoretical and simulational models may be compared. This research will be undertaken in an undergraduate-only institution and involves interdisciplinary faculty and student collaborations in applied physics and microbiology. Undergraduate students will be trained in techniques at the interface of these fields, will be co-authors on publications, and students will be expected to present results of this research at local and national meetings. The techniques and finding from this research will be used in the classroom in teaching of biology and physics, and the techniques developed and data obtained from this research will stimulate the development of future interdisciplinary courses.

在这个项目中，首席研究员将研究在生物膜和密集种群中生长的光合细菌的群体行为。本研究的对象是光合细菌，缺氧光养菌沼泽红假单胞菌和蓝藻集胞藻。 PCC6803，共同执行细菌世界中存在的所有主要代谢模式。 PI 将研究不同生长压力对这些细菌模式形成的影响。 PI 将生长并分析由以不同代谢模式生长的光合细菌形成的生物膜的结构。将开发数学模型并与实验进行比较，以了解所观察到的生长模式背后的物理原理。还将进行实验来详细分析在高细胞群密度下生长的光合细菌的集体运动，并受光合生物膜的启发进行系统修改。该研究将探索生物模式形成和细菌集体运动的新参数空间范围，为理论模型和模拟模型的比较提供实验证据。这项研究将在仅限本科生的机构中进行，涉及应用物理学和微生物学方面的跨学科教师和学生合作。本科生将接受这些领域交叉技术的培训，成为出版物的合著者，学生将被期望在地方和国家会议上展示这项研究的结果。这项研究的技术和发现将用于生物学和物理教学的课堂，并且从这项研究中开发的技术和获得的数据将刺激未来跨学科课程的发展。