Dynamics of Multiflagellar Swimming in Bacteria

在这个项目中，研究人员将专注于开发细菌多鞭毛运动的生物物理模型，并利用这些模型来了解运动现象的基本原理。他们将探索参数和设计空间，以帮助建立对生物系统如何演变成它们的方式的理解。主要目标包括在多个描述层次上发展多鞭毛运动的动力学机制模型，并应用这些模型来理解细菌游泳的各种观察结果。特别是，在检查实验观察时出现的一个广泛主题是多样性。为什么会有多种细菌游动模式？为什么许多物种有能力以多种鞭毛模式游泳？多鞭毛游泳的选择优势之一是有多种可能的鞭毛构型吗？这项工作将开始系统地解决这个问题，通过建立和应用模型，开始接近一个真正的多鞭毛生物的物理复杂性，将大大推进这种理解，不仅有助于基础微生物学，而且有助于许多应用，如土壤修复和预防感染，这与细菌的运动密切相关。通过揭示细菌是如何游泳的，这项工作也将加强人工微观游泳机器发展的知识基础。在本研究过程中接受教育的研究生将获得生物物理学和计算力学方面独特的专业知识组合。作为本项目的一部分，除了参与拟议的研究外，本科生还将参与一个涉及戴恩县男孩女孩俱乐部的K-12外展项目。该项目由物理系的生命系统物理学项目和分子与细胞生物科学系的细胞动力学和功能项目共同支持。

In this project the investigators will focus on development of biophysical models of multiflagellar locomotion in bacteria and use of the models to gain an understanding of the principles underlying locomotion phenomena. They will explore the parameter and design space, to help build an understanding of how the biological systems evolved to become the way they are. Principal aims include the development of mechanistic models for the dynamics of multiflagellar locomotion at a number of levels of description, and application of these models toward understanding various observations of bacterial swimming. In particular, one broad theme that appears upon examination of the experimental observations is multiplicity. Why are there multiple modes of bacterial swimming? Why do many species have capabilities to swim with multiple flagellar modes? Is one of the selective advantages of multiflagellar swimming the multiple possible configurations of the flagella? The proposed work will begin to systematically address this theme by building and applying models that begin to approach the physical complexity of a real multiflagellar organism, will substantially advance this understanding, contributing not only to fundamental microbiology but to many applications, such as soil remediation and prevention of infections, that are closely linked to bacterial motility. By shedding light on how bacteria swim, the proposed work will also strengthen the intellectual foundations for development of artificial microscopic swimming machines. The graduate students who will be educated during the conduct of this research will gain a unique combination of expertise in biophysics and computational mechanics. As part of the present project, in addition to participating in the proposed research, undergraduates will be involved in a K-12 outreach project involving the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County.This project is being jointly supported by the Physics of Living Systems program in the Division of Physics and the Cellular Dynamics and Function Program in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences.