Mechanomicrobiology: Bacterial Response to Forces

This lecture explores how bacteria sense and respond to mechanical forces, covering topics such as biomechanics, mechanobiology, and the impact of mechanics on bacterial physiology. It delves into the swimming motility of bacteria, biofilm formation, and the structural basis for catch bonds. The instructor discusses the mechanical environment of bacteria, shear-enhanced bacterial attachment, and the role of material properties in regulating twitching motility. The lecture also addresses bacterial mechanosensing, force transmission in bacteria, and the mechanotaxis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Furthermore, it examines the complex mechanical environment of the airway and the formation of biofilms in response to mucus compression.