Researchers found that bacteria colonies form in three dimensions in rough shapes similar to crystals. Bacterial colonies often grow in streaks on Petri dishes in laboratories, but no one has understood how the colonies arrange themselves in more realistic three-dimensional (3-D) environments, such
The researchers were able to observe bacterial colonies’ clumpy growth in three dimensions. Credit: Neil Adelantar/Princeton University
Researchers Sujit Datta, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering, Alejandro Martinez-Calvo, a postdoctoral researcher, and Anna Hancock, a graduate student in chemical and biological engineering. Credit: David Kelly Crow for Princeton University For several years, Datta’s research team has been developing a system that allows them to analyze phenomena that are usually cloaked in opaque settings, such as fluid flowing through soils. The team uses specially designed hydrogels, which are water-absorbent polymers similar to those in jello and contact lenses, as matrices to support bacterial growth in 3-D.
“We changed cell types, nutrient conditions, hydrogel properties,” Datta said. The researchers saw the same, rough-edged growth patterns in each case. “We systematically changed all those parameters, but this appears to be a generic phenomenon.” To explain why this pressure was not present, the researchers added a fluorescent tag to proteins that become active in cells when the bacteria grow. The fluorescent protein lights up when bacteria are active and remains dark when they are not. Observing the colonies, the researchers saw that bacteria on the colony’s edge were bright green, while the core remained dark.
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