The National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) has awarded a $354,066 Project Grant to the Regents of the University of Minnesota, Office of Sponsored Projects Administration, to conduct a collaborative research study on the collective dynamics of multiple flagella in a bacterial bundle. The 3-year project aims to reveal how the multiple flagella of peritrichous bacteria, such as E. coli, synchronize to form a functioning bundle and swim in fluid media. The research will integrate macroscopic model experiments, microscopic studies on living bacteria, and advanced numerical simulations to resolve the underlying fluid-mechanics principles governing the complex dynamics of bacterial flagellar bundles. The results will shed light on the origin of hydrodynamic synchronization and facilitate the development of engineering techniques for tailoring the synchronized dynamics of micron-scale objects. The project will also provide opportunities for recruiting undergraduate students from a minority-serving college and designing scientific demonstrations on bacterial swimming for outreach activities.
Generated 2/25/25, 5:16 AM