Berlin 2018 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 15: Postersession III

BP 15.95: Poster

Dienstag, 13. März 2018, 14:00–16:00, Poster B

Light-Induced Adsorption of Photoactive Microalgae on Interfaces — •Alexandros Fragkopoulos, Christian Kreis, and Oliver Bäumchen — Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS), Am Faßberg 17, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany

For many organisms, adhering to an interface is of paramount importance from large species, like mussels, to microbes, such as bacteria and microalgae. Microorganisms that naturally grow in porous environments, like soil, constantly interact with interfaces and may form biofilms that, among else, protects their communities from external influences. Chlamydomonas, a unicellular biflagellated microalga, can adhere almost to any substrate, and we have shown in previous work that its flagella-mediated adhesion to surfaces can be switched on and off by controlling the light conditions. Here, we exploit this light-switchability to study the adsorption-desorption dynamics of a C. reinhardtii population on solid interfaces that reversibly transitions between the planktonic (freely swimming) and the surface-associated state. Our results reveal physical details of the dynamics and how it depends on the cell density, as well as biological details surrounding the light-switchable adhesion. Morphological analysis of the patterns formed by the adsorbed cells evolve over time, possibly indicating that flagella-mediated gliding, a motility mechanism allowing for adhered cells to move on interfaces, can lead to a more efficient cell packing.