EPFL – The bacteria’s gait
Share this article
“Bacteria walk (a bit) like we do”
Research at the EPFL’s Institute of BioEngineering and Global Health has been conducted to study the bacteria’s gait.
It is now possible to observe “bacterial filaments directly” which are at the root of the bacteria’s movement mechanisms. It is important to take a closer look at these structures to understand the underlying consequences, as protein filaments, involved in the bacteria’s mobility, ultimately affect pathogens’ hostility.
To observe the bacteria’s “walk”, scientists from EPFL have used the “technique called inferometric scattering microscopy (iSCAT)” applied at the University of Oxford. This method enables them to understand more precisely the bacteria’s mobility across time through 3D observation.
The EPFL team has discovered that bacteria, through different phases, “use sensory mechanisms to coordinate the dynamic motion of their motility machineries”.