Berlin 2015 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 16: Posters: Cell adhesion, mechanics and migration

BP 16.22: Poster

Monday, March 16, 2015, 17:30–19:30, Poster A

Symmetry breaking motility of Flavobacterium johnsoniae — •HsuanYi Chen — Department of Physics, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan

A Flavobacterium johnsoniae moves on a substrate by processive adhesive proteins which are distributed in a close-loop track. Even in a homogeneous medium, the bacterium nevertheless breaks the front-rear symmetry and shows directional movement. I will show that at sufficiently high adhesive protein speed, the distribution of closed bonds between the proteins and the substrate has a bifurcation that leads to a directional movement for the bacterium. Such mechanism has the advantage that the bacterium can tune the adhesive protein speed to detect small gradient of nutrient or toxin in the environment.