2025/12/18 by David Yang Gao, Zheng Wang, Gao, David +7 · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Physics and Astronomy · #Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology #Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing #Micro and Nano Robotics
paper · doi:10.1093/icb/icag018
openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/04/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
Bacteria commonly inhabit porous environments such as host tissues, soil, and marine sediments, where complex geometries constrain and redirect their motion. Although bacterial motility has been studied in porous media, the roles of cell length and pore shape in navigating these environments remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate how cell morphology and pore architecture jointly determine bacterial spreading behavior. Using genetically engineered Escherichia coli with tunable cell length, we performed single-cell tracking in microfluidic devices that mimic ordered and disordered porous structures. We find that elongated bacteria traverse ordered pore networks more effectively than short cells, exhibiting straighter paths, greater directional persistence, and enhanced exploration efficiency. In contrast, in disordered porous media, elongated bacteria become trapped in dead-end regions for extended periods, resulting in markedly reduced navigational efficiency. Together, these results reveal how cell shape and environmental geometry interact to govern bacterial transport. Moreover, we suggest a new mechanism for separating antimicrobial-resistant bacteria from elongated susceptible cells in designer porous media.