Albert Siryaporn

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  Bacterial colonization in fluid flow networks
  Albert Siryaporn
  Bacteria encounter a variety of mechanical forces during the course of growth and infection. Our lab explores how bacteria detect and respond to forces generated by fluid flow, which is common in many bacterial habitats and host organisms. We find that surprisingly, the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa moves upstream, in the opposite direction, of flow. Cells attach to surfaces at the liquid-surface interface and are oriented upstream by the force of the flow. We detail this mechanism of upstream migration through single-cell measurements and modeling and explore the consequences of this behavior at the multi-cellular level. In particular, we explore how bacteria colonize complex flow networks found in the vasculature of host organisms. Our results show that the interplay between flow and bacterial physiology plays a critical role in determining colonization, competition between different bacterial species, and the dispersal of bacteria. Importantly, our model establishes a foundation for understanding how bacteria grow and spread during pathogenesis.