Thèses

Jeudi 12 Décembre 2024 à 13h30.

Bacterial Motion in Confinement: Optimal Strategies, Universal Dispersal and Magnetotactic Bacteria

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Directeur de thèse / thesis director :
Cécile Cottin-Bizonne, François Detcheverry, Christophe Ybert

Membres du jury / jury members :
Cécile Cottin-Bizonne (Directrice)
François Detcheverry (Co-Directeur)
Katja Taute (Rapportrice)
Fernando Peruani (Rapporteur)
Philippe Peyla (Examinateur)
Hélène Delanoe-Ayari (Examinatrice)

Résumé / Abstract :

Motility is a key trait for bacteria, and understanding their movement plays a crucial role in fields such as microbial ecology, medicine, and bio-inspired technologies. Despite advances in understanding bacterial motion, challenges remain due to the diversity of bacterial species and the environments they inhabit. This thesis investigates bacterial motility in confined settings, focusing on transport properties, optimality of motion strategies, and guided motility in magnetotactic bacteria. It develops and tests two distinct predictive models for bacterial dispersal—one for slit-like channels and another for porous environments—each capable of encompassing a wide range of motion and environmental parameters. These models reveal how dispersal depends on both motion and environmental factors, allowing the identification of optimal swimming strategies. Additionally, the thesis investigates the motility of a novel strain of magnetotactic bacteria, focusing on its response to magnetic fields and its behavior near solid boundaries.

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