Growing bacteria line up single-file, then buckle in liquid crystals
Caltech researchers have discovered that bacteria growing in liquid crystal environments organize into single-file chains that buckle and twist into serpentine structures. This study provides new insights into how microbial colonies adapt to their physical surroundings.
Why it matters
Understanding how bacteria behave in complex environments helps scientists develop better strategies for treating infections and managing biofilms in medical and industrial settings.
by Kimm Fesenmaier, California Institute of Technology
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add as preferred source 3D confocal reconstruction of a colony of nonmotile E. coli bacteria after 520 minutes, showing the single-cell-wide chains that have buckled and twisted, forming a serpentine structure. Credit: Gonzalez La Corte et al. PNAS /Caltech When scientists study bacteria that are not in a Petri dish or a test tube but in environments that more closely mimic their actual microbial habitats, they often find delightfully unexpected behaviors. For Sujit Datta, a professor of chemical engineering, bioengineering and biophysics at Caltech, those oddities are an invitation to apply physics to exciting new puzzles.
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