Regensburg 2025 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 14: Poster Session I
BP 14.2: Poster
Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 10:00–12:30, P3
Optically driven thermofluidic assembly of bacteria — •Desmond Joseph Quinn1, Selina Hanisch2, Rohan Karande3, and Frank Cichos1 — 1Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany — 2Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany — 3Biophysical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
Bacteria in their planktonic state are known to assemble into biofilms in the vicinity of a solid surface. The complex cascade that results in the adhesion of the bacteria to the surface is usually triggered by the diffusion of bacteria to its vicinity. We propose a method that makes use of temperature induced flow fields and depletion interactions for the localized assembly and manipulation of bacteria. In addition to the physical interactions that contribute to the assembly process, the motility of the bacteria affects the assembly and can be altered by the induced temperature and altered distribution of molecules. We try to disentangle these effects by studying passive and active bacteria independently. We look at how motility parameters change in response to the fields induced by the laser, and how this in turn affects assembly. Such controlled assembly of bacteria could be useful for technological applications in bioreactors. In addition, our method provides a way of experimentally probing the effect of localized temperature, osmotic pressure, and flow fields on the motility of bacteria.
Keywords: Thermofluidics; Assembly; Bacteria; Biofilms