Filling an Emulsion Drop with Motile Bacteria

I. D. Vladescu; E. J. Marsden; J. Schwarz-Linek; V. A. Martinez; J. Arlt; A. N. Morozov; D. Marenduzzo; M. E. Cates; W. C. K. Poon

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.268101

Filling an Emulsion Drop with Motile Bacteria

I. D. Vladescu^*, E. J. Marsden, J. Schwarz-Linek, V. A. Martinez, J. Arlt, A. N. Morozov, D. Marenduzzo, M. E. Cates, W. C. K. Poon

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We have measured the spatial distribution of motile Escherichia coli inside spherical water droplets emulsified in oil. At low cell concentrations, the cell density peaks at the water-oil interface; at increasing concentration, the bulk of each droplet fills up uniformly while the surface peak remains. Simulations and theory show that the bulk density results from a "traffic" of cells leaving the surface layer, increasingly due to cell-cell scattering as the surface coverage rises above similar to 10%. Our findings show similarities with the physics of a rarefied gas in a spherical cavity with attractive walls.

Original language	English
Article number	268101
Pages (from-to)	1-5
Number of pages	5
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	113
Issue number	26
Early online date	22 Dec 2014
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.268101
Publication status	Published - 31 Dec 2014

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

FLUID-DYNAMICS
IMAGE-ANALYSIS
SURFACE
MICROSCOPY
GEOMETRY

Access to Document

10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.268101

wp_177 bacteria in emulsion drop PRL 2014Final published version, 2.82 MB

PHYSAPS: The Physics of Active Particle Suspensions
Poon, W. (Principal Investigator)
EU government bodies
1/02/14 → 31/01/20
Project: Research
Design Principles for New Soft Materials
Cates, M. (Principal Investigator), Allen, R. (Co-investigator), Clegg, P. (Co-investigator), Evans, M. (Co-investigator), MacPhee, C. (Co-investigator), Marenduzzo, D. (Co-investigator) & Poon, W. (Co-investigator)
EPSRC
7/12/11 → 6/06/17
Project: Research

Jochen Arlt
- j.arlted.acuk
- School of Physics and Astronomy - Senior Lecturer
Person: Academic: Research Active (Research Assistant)
Alexander Morozov
- alexander.morozoved.acuk
- School of Physics and Astronomy - Personal Chair of Fluid Mechanics
Person: Academic: Research Active

Cite this

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title = "Filling an Emulsion Drop with Motile Bacteria",

abstract = "We have measured the spatial distribution of motile Escherichia coli inside spherical water droplets emulsified in oil. At low cell concentrations, the cell density peaks at the water-oil interface; at increasing concentration, the bulk of each droplet fills up uniformly while the surface peak remains. Simulations and theory show that the bulk density results from a {"}traffic{"} of cells leaving the surface layer, increasingly due to cell-cell scattering as the surface coverage rises above similar to 10%. Our findings show similarities with the physics of a rarefied gas in a spherical cavity with attractive walls.",

keywords = "FLUID-DYNAMICS, IMAGE-ANALYSIS, SURFACE, MICROSCOPY, GEOMETRY",

author = "Vladescu, {I. D.} and Marsden, {E. J.} and J. Schwarz-Linek and Martinez, {V. A.} and J. Arlt and Morozov, {A. N.} and D. Marenduzzo and Cates, {M. E.} and Poon, {W. C. K.}",

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doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.268101",

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T1 - Filling an Emulsion Drop with Motile Bacteria

AU - Vladescu, I. D.

AU - Marsden, E. J.

AU - Schwarz-Linek, J.

AU - Martinez, V. A.

AU - Arlt, J.

AU - Morozov, A. N.

AU - Marenduzzo, D.

AU - Cates, M. E.

AU - Poon, W. C. K.

PY - 2014/12/31

Y1 - 2014/12/31

N2 - We have measured the spatial distribution of motile Escherichia coli inside spherical water droplets emulsified in oil. At low cell concentrations, the cell density peaks at the water-oil interface; at increasing concentration, the bulk of each droplet fills up uniformly while the surface peak remains. Simulations and theory show that the bulk density results from a "traffic" of cells leaving the surface layer, increasingly due to cell-cell scattering as the surface coverage rises above similar to 10%. Our findings show similarities with the physics of a rarefied gas in a spherical cavity with attractive walls.

AB - We have measured the spatial distribution of motile Escherichia coli inside spherical water droplets emulsified in oil. At low cell concentrations, the cell density peaks at the water-oil interface; at increasing concentration, the bulk of each droplet fills up uniformly while the surface peak remains. Simulations and theory show that the bulk density results from a "traffic" of cells leaving the surface layer, increasingly due to cell-cell scattering as the surface coverage rises above similar to 10%. Our findings show similarities with the physics of a rarefied gas in a spherical cavity with attractive walls.

KW - FLUID-DYNAMICS

KW - IMAGE-ANALYSIS

KW - SURFACE

KW - MICROSCOPY

KW - GEOMETRY

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.268101

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.268101

M3 - Article

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 113

SP - 1

EP - 5

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 26

M1 - 268101

ER -

Filling an Emulsion Drop with Motile Bacteria

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

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Projects

PHYSAPS: The Physics of Active Particle Suspensions

Design Principles for New Soft Materials

Profiles

Jochen Arlt

Alexander Morozov

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