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Environmental biophysics of microorganisms

 

Many bacteria can swim and move up chemical gradients (chemotaxis). This ability is important in all environments, from soil, through animal hosts (including us!), to the ocean. It may also be critical to bioremediation (soil-clean up using bacteria). We work on the biophysics of swimming and chemotaxis in porous media, inspired by understanding bioremediation and microbial symbioses in soil. Our work combines analytical approaches (statistical mechanics of chemotaxis), with simulation and experiment. Our experiments combine computer controlled (Raspberry Pi, Arduino) macroscopic imaging of bacterial migration dynamics with microscopic characterisation of motility statistics, including Differential Dynamic Microscopy.

Relevant publications

T. Jakuszeit, J. Lindsey-Jones, F. J. Peaudecerf, O. A. Croze
Migration and accumulation of bacteria with chemotaxis and chemokinesis
arXiv.org: 1908.05050

T. Jakuszeit, O. A. Croze, S. Bell
Diffusion of active particles in a complex environment
Phys. Rev. E 97, 022411 (2018) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.99.012610

O. A. Croze, G. P. Ferguson, M. E. Cates & W. C. K. Poon, Migration of chemotactic bacteria in soft agar: role of gel concentration. Biophys. J. 101 525-534 (2011) DOI:10.1016/j.bpj.2011.06.023

V. Martinez, R. Besseling, O. A. Croze, … , M. A. Bees, L. G. Wilson & W. C. K. Poon, Biophys. J. 103 525-534 (2012) DOI:10.1016/j.bpj.2012.08.045

Completed student projects

E. Vinen, Physics of soil bacteria and bioremediation.
UROP undergraduate summer project (2018)

J. Lindsey-Jones, Modelling symbiotic bacterial migration.
Physics Part III undergraduate project (2016)

C. P. Bradshaw, Bacteria in porous media: test bed for new statistical physics. Physics Part III undergraduate project (2014)