Concept

Phototaxis

Related publications (12)

Bacterial colonization in realistic environments: how mechanics impact biofilm formation in the wild and during infection

A variety of physical inputs acts onto bacteria in nature. However, these are most often ignored in the studies of their physiology. There is now increasing evidence indicating that bacteria respond to physical stimuli, including mechanical forces. Yet, qu ...

EPFL2023

The biofilm ecology of proglacial floodplain streams

Jade Brandani

Glacial forelands figure among the most dynamic landscapes on Earth, and their formation is currently accelerating given glacier shrinkage. Draining these forelands are streams hosting unique microbial communities, which have the capacity to impact both th ...

EPFL2023

High light quantity suppresses locomotion in symbiotic Aiptasia

Anders Meibom, Nils Rädecker, Claudia Isabella Pogoreutz

Many cnidarians engage in endosymbioses with microalgae of the family Symbiodiniaceae. In this association, the fitness of the cnidarian host is closely linked to the photosynthetic performance of its microalgal symbionts. Phototaxis may enable semi-sessil ...

2022

Coral holobiont cues prime Endozoicomonas for a symbiotic lifestyle

Nils Rädecker, Claudia Isabella Pogoreutz, Gabriela Hannah Holligan Perna

Endozoicomonas are prevalent, abundant bacterial associates of marine animals, including corals. Their role in holobiont health and functioning, however, remains poorly understood. To identify potential interactions within the coral holobiont, we character ...

SPRINGERNATURE2022

Highly motile nanoscale magnetic artificial cilia

Yves Bellouard, Tanveer Ul Islam

Among the many complex bioactuators functioning at different scales, the organelle cilium represents a fundamental actuating unit in cellular biology. Producing motions at submicrometer scales, dominated by viscous forces, cilia drive a number of crucial b ...

2021

Persistence of bioconvection-induced mixed layers in a stratified lake

Alfred Johny Wüest, Damien Bouffard, Oscar Rodrigo Sepúlveda Steiner

In situ observations of biophysical interactions in natural waters typically focus on physical mechanisms influencing biological activity. Yet, biological activity can also drive physical processes in aquatic environments. A community of photoautotrophic, ...

2021

Pseudomonas aeruginosa orchestrates twitching motility by sequential control of type IV pili movements

Alexandre Louis André Persat, Lorenzo Anton-Louis Talà

Prokaryotes have the ability to walk on surfaces using type IV pili (TFP), a motility mechanism known as twitching(1,2). Molecular motors drive TFP extension and retraction, but whether and how these movements are coordinated is unknown(3). Here, we reveal ...

NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP2019

Generalized receptor law governs phototaxis in the phytoplankton Euglena gracilis

Andrea Rinaldo, Andrea Giometto, Amos Maritan, Florian Altermatt

Phototaxis, the process through which motile organisms direct their swimming toward or away from light, is implicated in key ecological phenomena (including algal blooms and diel vertical migration) that shape the distribution, diversity, and productivity ...

Natl Acad Sciences2015

Type IV pili mechanochemically regulate virulence factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Alexandre Louis André Persat, Joanne Netter Engel

Bacteria have evolved a wide range of sensing systems to appropriately respond to environmental signals. Here we demonstrate that the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa detects contact with surfaces on short timescales using the mechanical activ ...

2015

The Autonomous Photovoltaic MarXbot

Francesco Mondada, Philippe Rétornaz, Florian Christopher Vaussard, Martin Olivier Liniger

Domestic service robots are currently powered by the mains electricity. The growing multiplication of such devices negatively impacts our environment. In this study, we show the feasibility of harvesting energy from natural light in an indoor environment. ...

Springer Berlin Heidelberg2013

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