1
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Puri DB, Jacob P, Hemadri V, Banerjee A, Tripathi S. Exploring sperm cell rheotaxis in microfluidic channel: the role of flow and viscosity. Phys Biol 2024; 21:066001. [PMID: 39278237 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ad7b1a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Abstract
Rheotaxis is a fundamental mechanism of sperm cells that guides them in navigating towards the oocyte. The present study investigates the phenomenon of sperm rheotaxis in Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid media, which for the first time explores a viscosity range equivalent to that of the oviductal fluid of the female reproductive tract in rectilinear microfluidic channels. Three parameters, the progressive velocity while performing rheotaxis, the radius of rotation during rheotaxis, and the percentage of rheotactic sperm cells in the bulk and near-wall regions of the microfluidic channel were measured. Numerical simulations of the flow were conducted to estimate the shear rate, flow velocity, and the drag force acting on the sperm head at specific locations where the sperms undergo rheotaxis. Increasing the flow velocity resulted in a change in the position of rheotactic sperm from the bulk center to the near wall region, an increase and subsequent decrease in the sperm's upstream progressive velocity, and a decrease in the radius of rotation. We observed that with an increase in viscosity, rheotactic sperms migrate to the near wall regions at lower flow rates, the upstream progressive velocity of the sperm decreases for Newtonian and increases for non-Newtonian media, and the radius of rotation increases for Newtonian and decreases for non-Newtonian media. These results quantify the effects of fluid properties such as viscosity and flow rate on sperm rheotaxis and navigation, thereby paving the way for manipulating sperm behavior in microfluidic devices, potentially leading to advancements in assisted reproduction techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhiraj B Puri
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science-Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, Zuarinagar, Sancoale, Goa, 403726, India
| | - Paul Jacob
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science-Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, Zuarinagar, Sancoale, Goa, 403726, India
| | - Vadiraj Hemadri
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science-Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, Zuarinagar, Sancoale, Goa, 403726, India
| | - Arnab Banerjee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science-Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, Zuarinagar, Sancoale, Goa 403726, India
| | - Siddhartha Tripathi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science-Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, Zuarinagar, Sancoale, Goa, 403726, India
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2
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Jin C, Sengupta A. Microbes in porous environments: from active interactions to emergent feedback. Biophys Rev 2024; 16:173-188. [PMID: 38737203 PMCID: PMC11078916 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-024-01185-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbes thrive in diverse porous environments-from soil and riverbeds to human lungs and cancer tissues-spanning multiple scales and conditions. Short- to long-term fluctuations in local factors induce spatio-temporal heterogeneities, often leading to physiologically stressful settings. How microbes respond and adapt to such biophysical constraints is an active field of research where considerable insight has been gained over the last decades. With a focus on bacteria, here we review recent advances in self-organization and dispersal in inorganic and organic porous settings, highlighting the role of active interactions and feedback that mediates microbial survival and fitness. We discuss open questions and opportunities for using integrative approaches to advance our understanding of the biophysical strategies which microbes employ at various scales to make porous settings habitable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyu Jin
- Physics of Living Matter Group, Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg, 162 A, Avenue de la Faïencerie, Luxembourg City, L-1511 Luxembourg
| | - Anupam Sengupta
- Physics of Living Matter Group, Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg, 162 A, Avenue de la Faïencerie, Luxembourg City, L-1511 Luxembourg
- Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Luxembourg, 2 Avenue de l’Université, Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4365 Luxembourg
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3
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Zhou T, Wan X, Huang DZ, Li Z, Peng Z, Anandkumar A, Brady JF, Sternberg PW, Daraio C. AI-aided geometric design of anti-infection catheters. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj1741. [PMID: 38170782 PMCID: PMC10776022 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj1741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria can swim upstream in a narrow tube and pose a clinical threat of urinary tract infection to patients implanted with catheters. Coatings and structured surfaces have been proposed to repel bacteria, but no such approach thoroughly addresses the contamination problem in catheters. Here, on the basis of the physical mechanism of upstream swimming, we propose a novel geometric design, optimized by an artificial intelligence model. Using Escherichia coli, we demonstrate the anti-infection mechanism in microfluidic experiments and evaluate the effectiveness of the design in three-dimensionally printed prototype catheters under clinical flow rates. Our catheter design shows that one to two orders of magnitude improved suppression of bacterial contamination at the upstream end, potentially prolonging the in-dwelling time for catheter use and reducing the overall risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingtao Zhou
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Xuan Wan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Daniel Zhengyu Huang
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zongyi Li
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Zhiwei Peng
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Anima Anandkumar
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - John F. Brady
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Paul W. Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Chiara Daraio
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Meta Platforms Inc., Reality Labs, 322 Airport Blvd., Burlingame, CA 94010, USA
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4
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Saintillan D. Dispersion of run-and-tumble microswimmers through disordered media. Phys Rev E 2023; 108:064608. [PMID: 38243487 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.108.064608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the transport properties of microorganisms and self-propelled particles in porous media has important implications for human health as well as microbial ecology. In free space, most microswimmers perform diffusive random walks as a result of the interplay of self-propulsion and orientation decorrelation mechanisms such as run-and-tumble dynamics or rotational diffusion. In an unstructured porous medium, collisions with the microstructure result in a decrease in the effective spatial diffusivity of the particles from its free-space value. Here, we analyze this problem for a simple model system consisting of noninteracting point particles performing run-and-tumble dynamics through a two-dimensional disordered medium composed of a random distribution of circular obstacles, in the absence of Brownian diffusion or hydrodynamic interactions. The particles are assumed to collide with the obstacles as hard spheres and subsequently slide on the obstacle surface with no frictional resistance while maintaining their orientation, until they either escape or tumble. We show that the variations in the long-time diffusivity can be described by a universal dimensionless hindrance function f(ϕ,Pe) of the obstacle area fraction ϕ and Péclet number Pe, or ratio of the swimmer run length to the obstacle size. We analytically derive an asymptotic expression for the hindrance function valid for dilute media (Peϕ≪1), and its extension to denser media is obtained using stochastic simulations. As we explain, the model is also easily generalized to describe dispersion in three dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Saintillan
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
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5
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Zheng H, Yan N, Feng W, Liu Y, Luo H, Jing G. Swimming of Buoyant Bacteria in Quiescent Medium and Shear Flows. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:4224-4232. [PMID: 36926901 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c03088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Gravity has an unavoidable effect on all living organisms inhabiting fluidic surroundings. To investigate the spatial distribution of bacteria in quiescent fluids and their rheotactic behavior in shear flows under buoyancy, we adjust the buoyant force to regulate bacterial swimming in a microfluidic channel. It is found that swimming bacteria of Escherichia coli exhibit an obvious vertical separation when exposed to a medium with high density and gradually gather close to the up wall within minutes. The bacterial population presents a net upward number flux, which enhances the trapping of motile bacteria onto the up surface as a result of buoyancy force apart from the hydrodynamic and kinematic interactions in quiescent fluids. When flow is imposed into the channel, the buoyancy effect is however significantly suppressed. Additionally, the drift velocity perpendicular to the buoyancy vector as a result of chirality-induced transverse swimming decreases with buoyancy force. However, this transverse drift capability is recovered after excluding the intrinsic swimming motility in a quiescent medium. Failing to escape from the trapping as a result of buoyant force allows for a facile separation of bacteria along the vertical direction. The findings also offer a controllable way to redisperse and homogenize the bacteria distribution close to walls by imposing a weak shear flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Zheng
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, People's Republic of China
| | - Ningzhe Yan
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Feng
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanan Liu
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Luo
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangyin Jing
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, People's Republic of China
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6
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Nsamela A, Garcia Zintzun AI, Montenegro-Johnson TD, Simmchen J. Colloidal Active Matter Mimics the Behavior of Biological Microorganisms-An Overview. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2202685. [PMID: 35971193 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202202685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This article provides a review of the recent development of biomimicking behaviors in active colloids. While the behavior of biological microswimmers is undoubtedly influenced by physics, it is frequently guided and manipulated by active sensing processes. Understanding the respective influences of the surrounding environment can help to engineering the desired response also in artificial swimmers. More often than not, the achievement of biomimicking behavior requires the understanding of both biological and artificial microswimmers swimming mechanisms and the parameters inducing mechanosensory responses. The comparison of both classes of microswimmers provides with analogies in their dependence on fuels, interaction with boundaries and stimuli induced motion, or taxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Nsamela
- Chair of Physical Chemistry, TU Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
- Elvesys SAS, 172 Rue de Charonne, Paris, 75011, France
| | | | | | - Juliane Simmchen
- Chair of Physical Chemistry, TU Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
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7
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Lynch JB, James N, McFall-Ngai M, Ruby EG, Shin S, Takagi D. Transitioning to confined spaces impacts bacterial swimming and escape response. Biophys J 2022; 121:2653-2662. [PMID: 35398019 PMCID: PMC9300662 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbiotic bacteria often navigate complex environments before colonizing privileged sites in their host organism. Chemical gradients are known to facilitate directional taxis of these bacteria, guiding them toward their eventual destination. However, less is known about the role of physical features in shaping the path the bacteria take and defining how they traverse a given space. The flagellated marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri, which forms a binary symbiosis with the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, must navigate tight physical confinement during colonization, squeezing through a tissue bottleneck constricting to ∼2 μm in width on the way to its eventual home. Using microfluidic in vitro experiments, we discovered that V. fischeri cells alter their behavior upon entry into confined space, straightening their swimming paths and promoting escape from confinement. Using a computational model, we attributed this escape response to two factors: reduced directional fluctuation and a refractory period between reversals. Additional experiments in asymmetric capillary tubes confirmed that V. fischeri quickly escape from confined ends, even when drawn into the ends by chemoattraction. This avoidance was apparent down to a limit of confinement approaching the diameter of the cell itself, resulting in a balance between chemoattraction and evasion of physical confinement. Our findings demonstrate that nontrivial distributions of swimming bacteria can emerge from simple physical gradients in the level of confinement. Tight spaces may serve as an additional, crucial cue for bacteria while they navigate complex environments to enter specific habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan B Lynch
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i.
| | - Nicholas James
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i
| | - Margaret McFall-Ngai
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i
| | - Edward G Ruby
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i
| | - Sangwoo Shin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i; Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Daisuke Takagi
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i; Department of Mathematics, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i
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8
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Lazzini G, Romoli L, Fuso F. Fluid-driven bacterial accumulation in proximity of laser-textured surfaces. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2022; 217:112654. [PMID: 35816878 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
In this work we investigated the role of fluid in the initial phase of bacterial adhesion on textured surfaces, focusing onto the approach of the bacterial cells towards the surface. In particular, stainless steel surfaces textured via femtosecond laser interaction have been considered. The method combined a simulation routine, based on the numerical solution of Navier-Stokes equations, and the use of a theoretical model, based on the Smoluchowski's equation. Results highlighted a slowdown of the fluid velocity field in correspondence of the surface dales. In addition, a shear induced accumulation on the top of the surface protrusions was predicted for motile bacterial species, E. coli. In particular, we observed a role of the surface protrusions in increasing the range over which motile bacterial species are attracted towards the surface through a rheotactic mechanism. In other words, we found that, in certain conditions of fluid flow and textured surface morphology, surface protrusions act as a sort of "rheotactic antennas".
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianmarco Lazzini
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Luca Romoli
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Francesco Fuso
- Dipartimento di Fisica "Enrico Fermi", Universitá di Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy
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9
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Junot G, Darnige T, Lindner A, Martinez VA, Arlt J, Dawson A, Poon WCK, Auradou H, Clément E. Run-to-Tumble Variability Controls the Surface Residence Times of E. coli Bacteria. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 128:248101. [PMID: 35776449 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.128.248101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Motile bacteria are known to accumulate at surfaces, eventually leading to changes in bacterial motility and biofilm formation. We use a novel two-color, three-dimensional Lagrangian tracking technique to follow simultaneously the body and the flagella of a wild-type Escherichia coli. We observe long surface residence times and surface escape corresponding mostly to immediately antecedent tumbling. A motility model accounting for a large behavioral variability in run-time duration reproduces all experimental findings and gives new insights into surface trapping efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaspard Junot
- PMMH, UMR 7636 CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université and Université Paris Cité, 7-9 quai Saint-Bernard, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Thierry Darnige
- PMMH, UMR 7636 CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université and Université Paris Cité, 7-9 quai Saint-Bernard, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Anke Lindner
- PMMH, UMR 7636 CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université and Université Paris Cité, 7-9 quai Saint-Bernard, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Vincent A Martinez
- SUPA and the School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
| | - Jochen Arlt
- SUPA and the School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
| | - Angela Dawson
- SUPA and the School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
| | - Wilson C K Poon
- SUPA and the School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
| | - Harold Auradou
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, FAST, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Eric Clément
- PMMH, UMR 7636 CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université and Université Paris Cité, 7-9 quai Saint-Bernard, Paris, 75005, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF)
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10
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Aranson IS. Bacterial active matter. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2022; 85:076601. [PMID: 35605446 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/ac723d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria are among the oldest and most abundant species on Earth. Bacteria successfully colonize diverse habitats and play a significant role in the oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen cycles. They also form human and animal microbiota and may become sources of pathogens and a cause of many infectious diseases. Suspensions of motile bacteria constitute one of the most studied examples of active matter: a broad class of non-equilibrium systems converting energy from the environment (e.g., chemical energy of the nutrient) into mechanical motion. Concentrated bacterial suspensions, often termed active fluids, exhibit complex collective behavior, such as large-scale turbulent-like motion (so-called bacterial turbulence) and swarming. The activity of bacteria also affects the effective viscosity and diffusivity of the suspension. This work reports on the progress in bacterial active matter from the physics viewpoint. It covers the key experimental results, provides a critical assessment of major theoretical approaches, and addresses the effects of visco-elasticity, liquid crystallinity, and external confinement on collective behavior in bacterial suspensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor S Aranson
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, and Mathematics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States of America
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11
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Oscillatory rheotaxis of artificial swimmers in microchannels. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2952. [PMID: 35618708 PMCID: PMC9135748 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30611-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological microswimmers navigate upstream of an external flow with trajectories ranging from linear to spiralling and oscillatory. Such a rheotactic response primarily stems from the hydrodynamic interactions triggered by the complex shapes of the microswimmers, such as flagellar chirality. We show here that a self-propelling droplet exhibits oscillatory rheotaxis in a microchannel, despite its simple spherical geometry. Such behaviour has been previously unobserved in artificial swimmers. Comparing our experiments to a purely hydrodynamic theory model, we demonstrate that the oscillatory rheotaxis of the droplet is primarily governed by both the shear flow characteristics and the interaction of the finite-sized microswimmer with all four microchannel walls. The dynamics can be controlled by varying the external flow strength, even leading to the rheotactic trapping of the oscillating droplet. Our results provide a realistic understanding of the behaviour of active particles navigating in confined microflows relevant in many biotechnology applications.
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12
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Sharan P, Xiao Z, Mancuso V, Uspal WE, Simmchen J. Upstream Rheotaxis of Catalytic Janus Spheres. ACS NANO 2022; 16:4599-4608. [PMID: 35230094 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c11204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fluid flow is ubiquitous in many environments that form habitats for microorganisms. Therefore, it is not surprising that both biological and artificial microswimmers show responses to flows that are determined by the interplay of chemical and physical factors. In particular, to deepen the understanding of how different systems respond to flows, it is crucial to comprehend the influence played by swimming pattern. The tendency of organisms to navigate up or down the flow is termed rheotaxis. Early theoretical studies predicted a positive rheotactic response for puller-type spherical Janus micromotors. However, recent experimental studies have focused on pusher-type Janus particles, finding that they exhibit cross-stream migration in externally applied flows. To study the response to the flow of swimmers with a qualitatively different flow pattern, we introduce Cu@SiO2 micromotors that swim toward their catalytic cap. On the basis of experimental observations, and supported by flow field calculations using a model for self-electrophoresis, we hypothesize that they behave effectively as a puller-type system. We investigate the effect of externally imposed flow on these spherically symmetrical Cu@SiO2 active Janus colloids, and we indeed observe a steady upstream directional response. Through a simple squirmer model for a puller, we recover the major experimental observations. Additionally, the model predicts a "jumping" behavior for puller-type micromotors at high flow speeds. Performing additional experiments at high flow speeds, we capture this phenomenon, in which the particles "roll" with their swimming axes aligned to the shear plane, in addition to being dragged downstream by the fluid flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Sharan
- Physical Chemistry, TU Dresden, Zellescher Weg 19, Dresden 01069, Germany
| | - Zuyao Xiao
- Physical Chemistry, TU Dresden, Zellescher Weg 19, Dresden 01069, Germany
| | - Viviana Mancuso
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Ma̅noa, Honolulu 96822, Hawaii, United States
| | - William E Uspal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Ma̅noa, Honolulu 96822, Hawaii, United States
| | - Juliane Simmchen
- Physical Chemistry, TU Dresden, Zellescher Weg 19, Dresden 01069, Germany
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13
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pH-taxis drives aerobic bacteria in duodenum to migrate into the pancreas with tumors. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1783. [PMID: 35110595 PMCID: PMC8810860 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05554-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
As oral or intestinal bacteria have been found in pancreatic cystic fluid and tumors, understanding bacterial migration from the duodenum into the pancreas via hepato-pancreatic duct is critical. Mathematical models of migration of aerobic bacteria from the duodenum to the pancreas with tumors were developed. Additionally, the bacterial distributions under the pH gradient and those under flow were measured in double-layer flow based microfluidic device and T-shaped cylinders. Migration of aerobic bacteria from the duodenum into pancreas is counteracted by bile and pancreatic juice flow but facilitated by pH-taxis from acidic duodenum fluid toward more favorable slightly alkaline pH in pancreatic juice. Additionally, the reduced flow velocity in cancer patients, due to compressed pancreatic duct by solid tumor, facilitates migration. Moreover, measured distribution of GFP E. coli under the pH gradient in a microfluidic device validated pH-tactic behaviors. Furthermore, Pseudomonas fluorescens in hydrochloride solution, but not in bicarbonate solution, migrated upstream against bicarbonate flow of > 20 μm/s, with an advancement at approximately 50 μm/s.
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14
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Abstract
Understanding the motility behavior of bacteria in confining microenvironments, in which they search for available physical space and move in response to stimuli, is important for environmental, food industry, and biomedical applications. We studied the motility of five bacterial species with various sizes and flagellar architectures (Vibrio natriegens, Magnetococcus marinus, Pseudomonas putida, Vibrio fischeri, and Escherichia coli) in microfluidic environments presenting various levels of confinement and geometrical complexity, in the absence of external flow and concentration gradients. When the confinement is moderate, such as in quasi-open spaces with only one limiting wall, and in wide channels, the motility behavior of bacteria with complex flagellar architectures approximately follows the hydrodynamics-based predictions developed for simple monotrichous bacteria. Specifically, V. natriegens and V. fischeri moved parallel to the wall and P. putida and E. coli presented a stable movement parallel to the wall but with incidental wall escape events, while M. marinus exhibited frequent flipping between wall accumulator and wall escaper regimes. Conversely, in tighter confining environments, the motility is governed by the steric interactions between bacteria and the surrounding walls. In mesoscale regions, where the impacts of hydrodynamics and steric interactions overlap, these mechanisms can either push bacteria in the same directions in linear channels, leading to smooth bacterial movement, or they could be oppositional (e.g., in mesoscale-sized meandered channels), leading to chaotic movement and subsequent bacterial trapping. The study provides a methodological template for the design of microfluidic devices for single-cell genomic screening, bacterial entrapment for diagnostics, or biocomputation.
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15
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Mathijssen AJTM, Figueroa-Morales N, Junot G, Clément É, Lindner A, Zöttl A. Oscillatory surface rheotaxis of swimming E. coli bacteria. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3434. [PMID: 31366920 PMCID: PMC6668461 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11360-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial contamination of biological channels, catheters or water resources is a major threat to public health, which can be amplified by the ability of bacteria to swim upstream. The mechanisms of this 'rheotaxis', the reorientation with respect to flow gradients, are still poorly understood. Here, we follow individual E. coli bacteria swimming at surfaces under shear flow using 3D Lagrangian tracking and fluorescent flagellar labelling. Three transitions are identified with increasing shear rate: Above a first critical shear rate, bacteria shift to swimming upstream. After a second threshold, we report the discovery of an oscillatory rheotaxis. Beyond a third transition, we further observe coexistence of rheotaxis along the positive and negative vorticity directions. A theoretical analysis explains these rheotaxis regimes and predicts the corresponding critical shear rates. Our results shed light on bacterial transport and reveal strategies for contamination prevention, rheotactic cell sorting, and microswimmer navigation in complex flow environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnold J T M Mathijssen
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, 1 Keble Road, OX1 3NP, UK
| | - Nuris Figueroa-Morales
- PMMH, UMR 7636 CNRS-ESPCI-PSL Research University, Sorbonne University, University Paris Diderot, 7-9 quai Saint-Bernard, 75005, Paris, France
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Gaspard Junot
- PMMH, UMR 7636 CNRS-ESPCI-PSL Research University, Sorbonne University, University Paris Diderot, 7-9 quai Saint-Bernard, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Éric Clément
- PMMH, UMR 7636 CNRS-ESPCI-PSL Research University, Sorbonne University, University Paris Diderot, 7-9 quai Saint-Bernard, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Anke Lindner
- PMMH, UMR 7636 CNRS-ESPCI-PSL Research University, Sorbonne University, University Paris Diderot, 7-9 quai Saint-Bernard, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Andreas Zöttl
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, 1 Keble Road, OX1 3NP, UK.
- PMMH, UMR 7636 CNRS-ESPCI-PSL Research University, Sorbonne University, University Paris Diderot, 7-9 quai Saint-Bernard, 75005, Paris, France.
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, TU Wien, Wiedner Hauptstraße 8-10, Wien, Austria.
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