Studying How Bacteria Swim
A team of researchers including MSI PI Xiang Cheng (associate professor, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science) has published a study that investigated how bacteria swim through different fluids and environments. The study, published recently in the journal Nature, describes how bacteria move through solutions of small solid particles. The research could be used for developing new medical treatments and drug delivery systems.
An article about this research has been published as a University of Minnesota Research Brief: New Study of How Bacteria Swim Could Help Prevent the Spread of Disease and Improve Medical Treatments. The story includes a short video of bacterial cells swimming.
The paper can be found on the journal website: Shashank Kamdar, Seunghwan Shin, Premkumar Leishangthem, Lorraine F. Francis, Xinliang Xu, Xiang Cheng. The Colloidal Nature of Complex Fluids Enhances Bacterial Motility. Nature 603:819-823 (2022). doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04509-3.
Professor Xiang uses MSI resources as part of research using holographic microscopy to study 3D flow induced by microswimmers.
