Swimming in circles: Motion of bacteria near solid boundaries

Eric Lauga; Willow R. DiLuzio; George M. Whitesides; Howard A. Stone

doi:10.1529/biophysj.105.069401

Swimming in circles: Motion of bacteria near solid boundaries

Eric Lauga, Willow R. DiLuzio, George M. Whitesides, Howard A. Stone

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

753 Scopus citations

Abstract

Near a solid boundary, Escherichia coli swims in clockwise circular motion. We provide a hydrodynamic model for this behavior. We show that circular trajectories are natural consequences of force-free and torque-free swimming and the hydrodynamic interactions with the boundary, which also leads to a hydrodynamic trapping of the cells close to the surface. We compare the results of the model with experimental data and obtain reasonable agreement. In particular, the radius of curvature of the trajectory is observed to increase with the length of the bacterium body.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	400-412
Number of pages	13
Journal	Biophysical Journal
Volume	90
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1529/biophysj.105.069401
State	Published - Jan 2006

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Biophysics

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10.1529/biophysj.105.069401

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title = "Swimming in circles: Motion of bacteria near solid boundaries",

abstract = "Near a solid boundary, Escherichia coli swims in clockwise circular motion. We provide a hydrodynamic model for this behavior. We show that circular trajectories are natural consequences of force-free and torque-free swimming and the hydrodynamic interactions with the boundary, which also leads to a hydrodynamic trapping of the cells close to the surface. We compare the results of the model with experimental data and obtain reasonable agreement. In particular, the radius of curvature of the trajectory is observed to increase with the length of the bacterium body.",

author = "Eric Lauga and DiLuzio, {Willow R.} and Whitesides, {George M.} and Stone, {Howard A.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant No. GM065354), Department of Energy (grant No. DE-FG02-OOER45852), and the Harvard Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (grant No. DMR-0213805). W.R.D. acknowledges a National Science Foundation-Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Biomechanics Training grant (No. DGE-0221682). E.L. acknowledges funding by the Office of Naval Research (grant No. N00014-03-1-0376). ",

year = "2006",

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doi = "10.1529/biophysj.105.069401",

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AU - Lauga, Eric

AU - DiLuzio, Willow R.

AU - Whitesides, George M.

AU - Stone, Howard A.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant No. GM065354), Department of Energy (grant No. DE-FG02-OOER45852), and the Harvard Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (grant No. DMR-0213805). W.R.D. acknowledges a National Science Foundation-Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Biomechanics Training grant (No. DGE-0221682). E.L. acknowledges funding by the Office of Naval Research (grant No. N00014-03-1-0376).

PY - 2006/1

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N2 - Near a solid boundary, Escherichia coli swims in clockwise circular motion. We provide a hydrodynamic model for this behavior. We show that circular trajectories are natural consequences of force-free and torque-free swimming and the hydrodynamic interactions with the boundary, which also leads to a hydrodynamic trapping of the cells close to the surface. We compare the results of the model with experimental data and obtain reasonable agreement. In particular, the radius of curvature of the trajectory is observed to increase with the length of the bacterium body.

AB - Near a solid boundary, Escherichia coli swims in clockwise circular motion. We provide a hydrodynamic model for this behavior. We show that circular trajectories are natural consequences of force-free and torque-free swimming and the hydrodynamic interactions with the boundary, which also leads to a hydrodynamic trapping of the cells close to the surface. We compare the results of the model with experimental data and obtain reasonable agreement. In particular, the radius of curvature of the trajectory is observed to increase with the length of the bacterium body.

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Swimming in circles: Motion of bacteria near solid boundaries

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