Biomath Colloquium 14/06/2019

BioMaths Colloquium Series - 2018/19

14 June 2019 - 3pm Zoology Museum

(Department of Biosciences, Singleton Park)

Shape effects on microscale swimmers

Prof Stuart Humphries

(School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln)

Our BioMaths Colloquium Series continues for the spring term with a seminar by Prof Stuart Humphries, from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Lincoln.  Stuart is Professor of Evolutionary Biophysics and the founding director of the Lincoln Institute for Advanced Studies (LIAS) and his resarch focusses on comparative biomechanics, biophysics and biological fluid dynamics,




Abstract

Microbes in general, and bacteria in particular, exhibit great diversity in their shapes. However, while morphology is routinely linked to performance in multicellular organisms, there are almost no similar studies in bacteria. Our lab has been exploring the functional aspects of bacterial shape and I will highlight some recent studies using microfluidic experiments,  numerical modelling, and comparative phylogenetic methods to explore the links between cell shape and motility. I will show that lengthening of individual cells has profound influences on both a range of motility parameters and swimming-driven chemotactic behaviours that have implications for the ecology of these organisms. Our numerical models of bacterial cell shape show that a wide range of motile species are Pareto optimal due a trade-off between construction cost, swimming efficiency, and chemotactic ability. I will also provide insight into the evolution of prokaryote morphology and reconstruction of the phenotype of the Last Universal Common Ancestor.

The discussions will continue over tea and coffee after the seminar. 

Hope to see many of you!

For the list of forthcoming seminars, see here