1
|
Asp ME, Ho Thanh MT, Germann DA, Carroll RJ, Franceski A, Welch RD, Gopinath A, Patteson AE. Spreading rates of bacterial colonies depend on substrate stiffness and permeability. PNAS Nexus 2022; 1:pgac025. [PMID: 36712798 PMCID: PMC9802340 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The ability of bacteria to colonize and grow on different surfaces is an essential process for biofilm development. Here, we report the use of synthetic hydrogels with tunable stiffness and porosity to assess physical effects of the substrate on biofilm development. Using time-lapse microscopy to track the growth of expanding Serratia marcescens colonies, we find that biofilm colony growth can increase with increasing substrate stiffness, unlike what is found on traditional agar substrates. Using traction force microscopy-based techniques, we find that biofilms exert transient stresses correlated over length scales much larger than a single bacterium, and that the magnitude of these forces also increases with increasing substrate stiffness. Our results are consistent with a model of biofilm development in which the interplay between osmotic pressure arising from the biofilm and the poroelastic response of the underlying substrate controls biofilm growth and morphology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Merrill E Asp
- Physics Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA,BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Minh-Tri Ho Thanh
- Physics Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA,BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Danielle A Germann
- Physics Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA,BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Robert J Carroll
- Physics Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA,BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Alana Franceski
- BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA,Biology Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Roy D Welch
- BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA,Biology Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Arvind Gopinath
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA,Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|