PHYMOT — Physics of Microbial Motility

Results in brief

Physics of Microbial Motility

PHYMOT focuses on the study of the motility of microorganisms, in particular bacteria, algae and trypanosomes. Many of the active processes involved, for instance, the motion of bacteria and algae, and the feeding of marine and sweet-water flagellates, are driven by flagella. These are long tails that generate motion of the microorganism or the fluid that they are embedded in by actively rotating or beating. The scientific questions and systems related to microbial motility belong to the larger research field of Active Matter, which consists of entities that consume energy to move or perform mechanical work. These entities can be macroscopic living organisms like animals or humans, small-scale microorganisms (bacteria, algae, ..) or even artificial nanoscopic particles that move by transforming chemical energy, light or temperature gradients into motion. The scientific objective of PHYMOT is to understand the physics of cell motility, from single cells to collective behaviour. Cell swimming underpins a wide range of fundamental biological phenomena from microbial grazing at the base of the food web to parasitic infections and animal reproduction. Research on cell motility is booming, driven by new experimental, theoretical, and numerical tools from mathematics, engineering, and physics. Advances have provided fundamental new insights, from the constraints on single-cell propulsion to the optimality of responses to environmental clues, and promise new technologies based on control of microbial movement. PHYMOT provides an interdisciplinary research and training program for 15 excellent young Early-Stage Researchers with the opportunity to work on the intersection between academia and industry and to benefit from the interdisciplinary environment where physics, biology and engineering meet. The questions addressed in PHYMOT have a substantial impact beyond a purely academic interest ranging from food production, new disease treatment strategies, and sustainable and ecological development.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

PHYMOT comprises academic and private partners, spanning eight EU countries in a collaborative research platform in the topical and fast growing area of the biophysics of microbial motility. Through PHYMOT leading European scientists in the field of microbial motility will deliver an interdisciplinary research and training program for the next generation of outstanding researchers, with excellent opportunities to move across theory and experiments, industry and academia, fostering inter-sectorial exchanges of individuals and ideas. The scientific objective is to understand the physics of cell motility, from single cells to collective behavior. Cell swimming underpins a wide range of fundamental biological phenomena from microbial grazing at the base of the food web, to parasitic infections, and animal reproduction. Research on cell motility is booming driven by new experimental, theoretical, and numerical tools from mathematics, engineering, and physics. Advances have provided fundamental new insights, from the constraints on single-cell propulsion to the optimality of responses to environmental clues, and promise new technologies based on control of microbial movement. PHYMOT’s impact will be broad. The overarching goal is to train young researchers at the interface between physics, biology, and engineering, creating future leaders to face core challenges of modern society: food production, disease treatment strategies, sustainable and ecological development. Their research and future careers will have a significant impact on a wide spectrum of important fields, such as medicine, biotechnology, and environmental microbiology.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JULICH GMBH · JULICHCoordinatorGermany
BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV · Beer ShevaIsrael
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS · ParisFrance
DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET · Kongens LyngbyDenmark
ECOLE SUPERIEURE DE PHYSIQUE ET DECHIMIE INDUSTRIELLES DE LA VILLE DEPARIS · ParisFrance
EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH · ZuerichSwitzerland
JULIUS-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAT WURZBURG · WuerzburgGermany
LYNCEE TEC SA · LausanneSwitzerland
MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV · MUNCHENGermany
SYNOPTICS LTD · CAMBRIDGEUnited Kingdom
THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE · CAMBRIDGEUnited Kingdom
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA · RomaItaly
UNIVERSITAT BASEL · BaselSwitzerland
UNIVERSITAT DE LES ILLES BALEARS · PALMA DE MALLORCASpain
UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK · COVENTRYUnited Kingdom

PHYMOT · Physics of Microbial Motility

Results in brief

Physics of Microbial Motility

Project objective

Participants

Links