Many bacteria are motile and follow trajectories that exhibit distinct reorientation events like the classic run-and-tumble behavior of
E. coli
shown here.
|
Different species show different motility patterns. Why is that? We would like to understand whether the differences observed in nature reflect different physical constraints or adaptations to specific ecological requirements.
|
Example trajectories from six different bacterial species.
From Taute et al,,
Nat. Comm.
6:8776,
2015
.
|
We obtain 3D trajectories for swimming bacteria
using a novel 3D tracking method that only requires a standard biological phase contrast microscope.
|
Bacteria are tracked by computationally comparing their diffraction rings to a reference library. The ring pattern encodes the
z
-position.
|
|
© Katja M. Taute 2016-2023
|