Motion of Uni-Flagellated Bacteria in Visco-elastic Media

PI: Tang, Jay x .提案号：1438033提议的研究目标是研究细菌如何在非水流体环境中相互作用，这种环境通常存在于生物流体中。这项工作的发现将适用于使用相同基本机制游泳的一般细菌，并可以解释为什么水环境中的细菌是单鞭毛的，而其他细菌是多鞭毛的。这项工作的结果很重要，因为像细菌这样的微观游泳者最常出现在体液和复杂的非牛顿流体中。这一领域需要数据和模型，以便更好地了解疾病的传播和阻止它的方法。K-12学生也参与了项目的外联部分。该建议的重点是在一个基本的水平上解释粘弹性介质中的鞭毛游泳。特别是，本实验研究将集中在单鞭毛游泳者和他们的运动是如何不同于多鞭毛在粘弹性介质。该方法是在不同的粘弹性溶液中使用单个鞭毛模型细菌。实验测量将包括使用光学显微镜技术对游泳轨迹、速度和细胞体运动学的定量观察。此外，将生成流变模型来解释实验结果。

PI: Tang, Jay X.Proposal Number: 1438033The goal of the proposed study is to investigate how bacteria interact in a non-aquaeous fluid environment, which is often found in biological fluids. Findings from this work will be applicable to a general set of bacteria that swim using the same basic mechanics and could explain why bacteria in aqueous environments are uni-flagellar while other bacteria are multi-flagellar. Results of this work are important, since microscopic swimmers like bacteria are most often found in body fluids and liquids that are complex and non-Newtonian. There is a need for both data and models in this area, in order to better understand the spreading of decease and ways to stop it. There is also involvement of K-12 students in the outreach part of the project. The focus of the proposal is on explaining flagellar swimming in viscoelastic media at a fundamental level. In particular, this experimental study will focus on uni-flagellated swimmers and how their motion is different than multi flagellated in viscoelastic media. The approach is to use single flagellum model bacteria in different viscoelastic solutions. The experimental measurements will include quantitative observations of swimming trajectories, speed, and cell body kinematics using optical microscopy techniques. In addition, rheological models will be generated to interpret the experimental results.