Devina Puri

BME Ph.D. Thesis Proposal Presentation

Date: Monday, July 12, 2021
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Link:  https://bluejeans.com/159846702
Meeting ID: 159 846 702

Committee Members:

Kyle R. Allison, Ph.D. (Advisor)

Wilbur A. Lam, M.D., Ph.D.

Sarah W. Satola, Ph.D.

Shuichi Takayama, Ph.D.

Cheng Zhu, Ph.D.

Title: Single-cell dynamics of self-assembling bacterial communities

Abstract: 

Bacterial cells organize structured, multicellular communities called biofilms, which are attached to surfaces and embedded in a self-produced extracellular matrix. Cells within biofilms exhibit several behaviors that are different from their free-swimming counterparts, for e.g., higher antibiotic tolerance, ability to evade toxic environments, and escape immune response. As a result, biofilms are difficult to eradicate, and serve as reservoirs for chronic and recurrent infections. Genetics of biofilms have been thoroughly investigated, and advances in microscopy and microfluidics have provided deeper insights into their structure and physiology. However, the dynamical self-assembly process that leads to their complex structures with emergent behaviors, is not well defined. Though bacteria are unicellular, their ability to self-organize complex biofilm structures with emergent behaviors, has famously been posed as microbial development. Motivated by this idea, we employed single-cell microscopy techniques to track the dynamics of bacterial self-assembly and emergent properties. Our central hypothesis is that dynamical investigation of cell behaviors is key to understanding such multicellular bacterial communities and their emergent properties. In aim 1, we will investigate self-assembly of cellular architectures during biofilm formation and uncover the underlying genetic program. Aim 2 will focus on quantitatively characterizing cell behaviors that commit them to structured multicellular growth, and study their multiscale effects on the community. In aim 3, we will investigate the emergent consequences of the assembled community, and use the knowledge of self-assembly trajectories to predictably control emergent properties. The proposed work would demonstrate the extent to which multicellular bacterial assembly is self-directing and drives emergent behaviors. Our dynamical analysis of self-assembly in these communities would reveal novel targets to treat biofilm infections.