Regensburg 2025 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 7: Active Matter II (joint session BP/CPP/DY)

CPP 7.4: Talk

Monday, March 17, 2025, 15:45–16:00, H37

Tracking plankton-to-biofilm transition in phototrophic bacteria — •Anupam Sengupta — Physics of Living Matter Group, Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg — Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Phototrophic bacteria commonly inhabit natural aquatic and marine ecosystems, exhibiting both motile and sessile lifestyles [1]. Yet, how and when they switch between the two states has remained unknown. Using quantitative imaging, AFM and mathematical modeling, we track the conditions and phenotypic changes across multiple generations in Chromatium okenii, a motile phototrophic purple sulfur bacterium [2]. Enhanced cell-surface adhesion together with changes in the cell shape and cellular mass distribution facilitate the motile-to-sessile shift. Our results, supported by cell mechanics model, establish a synergistic link between motility, mass distribution and surface attachment in promoting biofilm lifestyle. [1] T. Sommer et al., Geophys. Res. Lett. 44, 2017. [2] F. Di Nezio,.., & A. Sengupta, Plos one 19, e0310265, 2024.

Keywords: motility; biofilm; phototrophic bacteria; cell mechanics; swimming stability