Regensburg 2019 – wissenschaftliches Programm

Bereiche | Tage | Auswahl | Suche | Aktualisierungen | Downloads | Hilfe

BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 6: Poster I

BP 6.26: Poster

Montag, 1. April 2019, 17:30–19:30, Poster B2

To stick or not to stick - interfacial forces and biological mechanisms regulating microalgae adhesion — •Alexandros Fragkopoulos, Christian Kreis, Anaelle Chretien, Alice Grangier, Christine Linne, and Oliver Bäumchen — Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany

For many microorganisms, attaching to a substrate is of paramount importance since it allows for cells to stay at nutrient-rich environments or form biofilms. In particular, a population of microbes that grows in porous environments is in constant interactions with interfaces. Here we present a study on the adhesion and surface colonization of C. reinhardtii, a unicellular biflagellated microalga. Using micropipette force spectroscopy experiments, we can measure the adhesion force on a single-cell level [1]. We show that its flagella-mediated adhesion to surfaces can be switched on and off by controlling the light conditions [2]. We exploit this behavior to study the cells on a population level by analyzing the Langmuir-type adsorption-desorption dynamics of cells on solid interfaces as they switch between the planktonic (freely swimming) and the surface-associated state. Using tailored model substrates, we reveal the intermolecular forces governing the adhesion of Chlamydomonas to surfaces. Finally, we use both methods to study the effect of the cell mating type, growth medium, and life stage on the adhesion.

[1] M. Backholm, O. Bäumchen, Nat. Protoc., in press (2018)

[2] C.T. Kreis et al., Nat. Phys., 14, 45 (2018).