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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 16: Poster IV

BP 16.12: Poster

Dienstag, 17. März 2020, 14:00–16:00, P2/EG

Quantifying the flexural rigidity of filamentous cyanobacteria — •Mixon Faluweki and Lucas Goehring — Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK

The structural and mechanical properties of biofilms contribute to their successes in a wide variety of ecological niches; filamentous cyanobacteria show an increase in complexity from single cells towards multicellular structures. We study how the microscopic activity of these organisms gives rise to the macroscopic properties of their colonies, including biofilms and biomats. One of the most important mechanical properties is the flexural rigidity, also known as the bending modulus. Direct measurement of the flexural rigidity of filamentous cyanobacteria is a challenging task due to their small size. Here, we quantify the flexural rigidity of three cyanobacteria species via bending tests in a microfluidic flow device, where single cyanobacteria filaments are introduced into the microfluidic channel and deflected by fluid flow. This measurement is confirmed separately by measuring the Young*s modulus and cell wall thickness using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. These mechanical properties will control how individual filaments of cyanobacteria bend or curve when they interact with each other, or their environment, for example in their alignment into bundles, or with flows or physical boundaries.