The carnivorous plant harnesses active particle dynamics to prey on microfauna.

Carnivory in plants is an unusual trait that has arisen multiple times, independently, throughout evolutionary history. Plants in the genus are carnivorous and feed on microorganisms that live in soil using modified subterranean leaf structures (rhizophylls). A surprisingly broad array of microfauna has been observed in the plants' digestive chambers, including ciliates, amoebae, and soil mites.

Synthesis of colicin Ia neoglycoproteins: tools towards glyco-engineering of bacterial cell surfaces.

Colicins are antimicrobial proteins produced by certain strains of that function as offensive weapons against closely-related competitor strains. Their bactericidal properties and narrow bacterial targeting range has made them of therapeutic interest. Furthermore, the applications of engineered non-bactericidal colicins are of interest as a cell surface-directed protein anchor for decorating with biomolecules.

Mannose-Presenting "Glyco-Colicins" Convert the Bacterial Cell Surface into a Multivalent Adsorption Site for Adherent Bacteria.

Biofilm formation is integral to the pathogenesis of numerous adherent bacteria and contributes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The rising threat of AMR means the need to develop novel nonbactericidal antiadhesion approaches against such bacteria is more urgent than ever. Both adherent-invasive (AIEC, implicated in inflammatory bowel disease) and uropathogenic (UPEC, responsible for ∼80% of urinary tract infections) adhere to terminal mannose sugars on epithelial glycoproteins through the FimH adhesin on their type 1 pilus.

Real-time 3D tracking of swimming microbes using digital holographic microscopy and deep learning.

The three-dimensional swimming tracks of motile microorganisms can be used to identify their species, which holds promise for the rapid identification of bacterial pathogens. The tracks also provide detailed information on the cells' responses to external stimuli such as chemical gradients and physical objects. Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) is a well-established, but computationally intensive method for obtaining three-dimensional cell tracks from video microscopy data.

Multiple Pathways of LRRK2-G2019S/Rab10 Interaction in Dopaminergic Neurons.

Background: Inherited mutations in the LRRK2 protein are common causes of Parkinson's disease, but the mechanisms by which increased kinase activity of mutant LRRK2 leads to pathological events remain to be determined. In vitro assays (heterologous cell culture, phospho-protein mass spectrometry) suggest that several Rab proteins might be directly phosphorylated by LRRK2-G2019S. An in vivo screen of Rab expression in dopaminergic neurons in young adult Drosophila demonstrated a strong genetic interaction between LRRK2-G2019S and Rab10.

High-speed, three-dimensional imaging reveals chemotactic behaviour specific to human-infective parasites.

Cellular motility is an ancient eukaryotic trait, ubiquitous across phyla with roles in predator avoidance, resource access, and competition. Flagellar motility is seen in various parasitic protozoans, and morphological changes in flagella during the parasite life cycle have been observed. We studied the impact of these changes on motility across life cycle stages, and how such changes might serve to facilitate human infection.

Haloarchaea swim slowly for optimal chemotactic efficiency in low nutrient environments.

Archaea have evolved to survive in some of the most extreme environments on earth. Life in extreme, nutrient-poor conditions gives the opportunity to probe fundamental energy limitations on movement and response to stimuli, two essential markers of living systems. Here we use three-dimensional holographic microscopy and computer simulations to reveal that halophilic archaea achieve chemotaxis with power requirements one hundred-fold lower than common eubacterial model systems.

Spatial arrangement of several flagellins within bacterial flagella improves motility in different environments.

Bacterial flagella are helical proteinaceous fibers, composed of the protein flagellin, that confer motility to many bacterial species. The genomes of about half of all flagellated species include more than one flagellin gene, for reasons mostly unknown. Here we show that two flagellins (FlaA and FlaB) are spatially arranged in the polar flagellum of Shewanella putrefaciens, with FlaA being more abundant close to the motor and FlaB in the remainder of the flagellar filament.

Targeted kinase inhibition relieves slowness and tremor in a model of LRRK2 Parkinson's disease.

In a number of models of genetic Parkinson's disease (PD) flies climb more slowly than wild-type controls. However, this assay does not distinguish effects of PD-related genes on gravity sensation, "arousal", central pattern generation of leg movements, or muscle. To address this problem, we have developed an assay for the fly proboscis extension response (PER).

Simultaneous two-color imaging in digital holographic microscopy.

We demonstrate the use of two-color digital holographic microscopy (DHM) for imaging microbiological subjects. The use of two wavelengths significantly reduces artifacts present in the reconstructed data, allowing us to image weakly-scattering objects in close proximity to strongly-scattering objects. We demonstrate this by reconstructing the shape of the flagellum of a unicellular eukaryotic parasite in close proximity to a more strongly-scattering cell body.

The Aerotactic Response of Caulobacter crescentus.

Many motile microorganisms are able to detect chemical gradients in their surroundings to bias their motion toward more favorable conditions. In this study, we observe the swimming patterns of Caulobacter crescentus, a uniflagellated bacterium, in a linear oxygen gradient produced by a three-channel microfluidic device. Using low-magnification dark-field microscopy, individual cells are tracked over a large field of view and their positions within the oxygen gradient are recorded over time.

Ecological influences on the behaviour and fertility of malaria parasites.

Background: Sexual reproduction in the mosquito is essential for the transmission of malaria parasites and a major target for transmission-blocking interventions. Male gametes need to locate and fertilize females in the challenging environment of the mosquito blood meal, but remarkably little is known about the ecology and behaviour of male gametes.

Methods: Here, a series of experiments explores how some aspects of the chemical and physical environment experienced during mating impacts upon the production, motility, and fertility of male gametes.

Sperm navigation along helical paths in 3D chemoattractant landscapes.

Sperm require a sense of direction to locate the egg for fertilization. They follow gradients of chemical and physical cues provided by the egg or the oviduct. However, the principles underlying three-dimensional (3D) navigation in chemical landscapes are unknown.

Flagellated bacterial motility in polymer solutions.

It is widely believed that the swimming speed, v, of many flagellated bacteria is a nonmonotonic function of the concentration, c, of high-molecular-weight linear polymers in aqueous solution, showing peaked v(c) curves. Pores in the polymer solution were suggested as the explanation. Quantifying this picture led to a theory that predicted peaked v(c) curves.

Digital inline holographic microscopy (DIHM) of weakly-scattering subjects.

Weakly-scattering objects, such as small colloidal particles and most biological cells, are frequently encountered in microscopy. Indeed, a range of techniques have been developed to better visualize these phase objects; phase contrast and DIC are among the most popular methods for enhancing contrast. However, recording position and shape in the out-of-imaging-plane direction remains challenging.

High-speed holographic microscopy of malaria parasites reveals ambidextrous flagellar waveforms.

Axonemes form the core of eukaryotic flagella and cilia, performing tasks ranging from transporting fluid in developing embryos to the propulsion of sperm. Despite their abundance across the eukaryotic domain, the mechanisms that regulate the beating action of axonemes remain unknown. The flagellar waveforms are 3D in general, but current understanding of how axoneme components interact stems from 2D data; comprehensive measurements of flagellar shape are beyond conventional microscopy.

Differential dynamic microscopy: a high-throughput method for characterizing the motility of microorganisms.

We present a fast, high-throughput method for characterizing the motility of microorganisms in three dimensions based on standard imaging microscopy. Instead of tracking individual cells, we analyze the spatiotemporal fluctuations of the intensity in the sample from time-lapse images and obtain the intermediate scattering function of the system. We demonstrate our method on two different types of microorganisms: the bacterium Escherichia coli (both smooth swimming and wild type) and the biflagellate alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Small-world rheology: an introduction to probe-based active microrheology.

We introduce active, probe-based microrheological techniques for measuring the flow and deformation of complex fluids. These techniques are ideal for mechanical characterization either when little sample is available, or when samples show significant spatial heterogeneity. We review recent results, paying particular attention to comparing and contrasting rheological parameters obtained from micro- and macro-rheological techniques.