Mechanobiology of Single Cells

This lecture explores how bacteria sense and respond to forces, covering topics such as the environments of bacteria, bacterial cell structures, adhesion mechanisms, bacterial motility, and the mechanics of adhesion. It delves into the complex bacterial envelope, the structural basis for catch bonds, and the dynamics of response to surfaces. The instructor discusses the mechanisms of bacterial swimming, chemotaxis, and twitching motility, highlighting the role of type IV pili in bacterial motility. The lecture also addresses single cell mechanical interactions, mechanotaxis with pili, and mechanosensing with pili, emphasizing the importance of substrate stiffness. Additionally, it examines mechanotransduction in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and how pili sense force through spring-like behavior.