The third in a series of biophysical questions (one, two). Finding food is an essential activity for any organism. We and many other animals interpret sights, sounds, and smells to make decisions about where to go or what to do to get things to eat. But what about a bacterium, a single-celled organism just a … Continue reading Can a brainless bacterium navigate? (What is biophysics? #3)
About a new paper from my lab [1] on why gut bacteria swim, and whether their host cares. Many bacteria swim. It’s a great way to explore one’s surroundings, run away from toxins, or move toward regions with more food. Over the past several years, as we’ve used 3D microscopy to peer inside zebrafish to … Continue reading Putting the brakes on gut bacteria
(A more technical post than most, in which we look at bacterial population densities, and watch a movie.) This term I taught a graduate biophysics course, about which I’ll write a recap later. Bacteria came up a lot in the course, both because they’re important but also because they offer many nice illustrations of how … Continue reading Bacteria and Boltzmann
The Eighteenth Elephant 