Topic: bacteria

A full-time residential, NSF-funded appointment with Ethan Levien and Daniel Schultz, starting 1 January 2027 or earlier by agreement. Study antibiotic-driven phenotypic diversity in bacteria using stochastic models and experimental single-cell growth and gene-expression data. Laboratory work is not required. Optional teaching of one or two ten-week courses depends on availability and qualifications, with salary adjusted accordingly. Applications completed by 3 November 2026 receive priority; the advert states that recruitment continues until filled.

Lars Bakken discusses using bacteria to reduce nitrous-oxide emissions associated with agricultural fertilizer. Conversation in Norwegian.

Individual bacteria transported in viscous flows, show complex interactions with flows and bounding surfaces resulting from their complex shape as well as their activity. Understanding these transport dynamics is crucial, as they impact soil contamination, transport in biological conducts or catheters, and constitute thus a serious health threat. Here we investigate the trajectories of individual E-coli bacteria in confined geometries under flow, using microfluidic model systems in bulk flows as well as close to surfaces using a novel Langrangian 3D tracking method. Combining experimental obse

Bacteria exhibit a bewildering diversity of morphologies, but despite their impact on nearly all aspects of life, they are frequently classified into a few general categories, usually just “spheres” and “rods.” Curved-rod bacteria are one simple variation observed in many environments, particularly the ocean. However, why so many species have evolved this shape is unknown. We used a regularized Stokeslet Boundary Element Method to model the motility of flagellated, curved bacteria. We show that curvature can increase swimming efficiency, revealing a widely applicable selective advantage. Furth

Motility is a crucial virulence factor for many species of bacteria, but it is not fully understood how bacterial motility is practically involved in pathogenicity. This time I will give a talk on the association of motility with pathogenicity in the zoonotic spirochete bacterium Leptospira. Recently, we measured swimming force of individual leptospires using optical tweezers and found that they can generate ~30 times of the swimming force of E. coli. We also observed that leptospires increase the reversal frequency of swimming at the gel-liquid interface, resembling host dermis exposed to con

Jessica Lønn-Stensrud discusses bacteria, their roles in everyday life and the balance between beneficial and harmful microorganisms. Conversation in Norwegian.