Physical Ecology of Magnetotactic Bacterial Motility
Hallaj, Majeed
2022
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Magnetotactic bacteria thrive in porous sediments of marine ecosystems, where they use Earth’s magnetic field to navigate these complex environments. Although magnetotactic bacterial motility and behaviors have been extensively studied, the relative effects of the magnetic field and gravitational field on localizing cell biomass are not understood. Through image analysis, we study the relative ... read moreeffects of magnetic field and gravitational field in dictating cell distributions. The analysis reveals a characteristic length scale, or decay length, over which cells accumulate. The decay length decreased with increasing magnetic field strength and was finite in the absence of a net magnetic field, which indicates that gravitational effects are appreciable. Finally, using model porous media microfluidic devices, we show preliminary data on the effects of porosity on cell accumulation that show larger decay lengths for each magnetic field investigated. These results contribute to our understanding cell distributions within their natural environments, which ultimately impact biogeochemical cycles and the health of marine ecosystems. Furthermore, understanding the behavior of these self-propelled microorganisms will potentially help to guide the design and application of micro-robots for targeted drug delivery and bioremediation applications.
Thesis (B.S.M.E.)--Tufts University, 2022.
Submitted to the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.
Advisor: Jeffrey S. Guasto.
Committee: Erica Kemmerling and Richard J. Henshaw.read less - ID:
- 9g54xz607
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