Characterization of hydrodynamic surface interactions of Escherichia coli cell bodies in shear flow

Phys Rev Lett. 2009 Sep 25;103(13):138103. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.138103. Epub 2009 Sep 24.

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate that nonflagellated Escherichia coli strains follow modified Jeffery orbits in shear flow near a surface. We fully characterize their Jeffery orbits as a function of their aspect ratios and distance from that surface. Thanks to the linearity of Navier-Stokes equations under low-Reynolds-number conditions, the hydrodynamic body-wall interactions described here can be superimposed with flagellar motility and Brownian motion to construct models that explain the full picture of bacterial motility near a surface under shear flow.

MeSH terms

  • Escherichia coli / chemistry
  • Escherichia coli / physiology*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Surface Properties