Bacteria Use Collisions to Navigate Crowded Environments, Micro-Maze Experiments Reveal

Bacteria use collisions to navigate crowded environments, micro-maze experiments reveal

Some bacteria can sense when they bump into each other and use these interactions to shape how the group organizes and moves. This discovery reveals a new way microbes explore their environments using physical feedback rather than chemical signals.

Scientists Put Bacteria In A Maze And Watched Them Find Their Way Out

Scientists have placed bacteria inside microscopic mazes and discovered that the cells can use physical collisions as information, helping them avoid traps while dramatically improving their chances of finding an exit. The research focused on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium found widely in soil, water and other environments that can also cause difficult infections in humans. […]

Bacteria Turn Bumps Into Signals to Escape Crowds and Conquer Mazes

EPFL researchers have discovered that Pseudomonas aeruginosa senses collisions with neighboring cells and reverses direction, allowing bacterial populations to stay mobile in crowds and navigate maze-like environments far more effectively than mutants that cannot feel these bumps.