Topic: "Development of experimental, motility-based methods for the quantitative characterization of magnetotactic bacteria".
Scientific supervisors: Dr. habil. phys. Andrejs Cēbers and Dr. phys. Guntars Kitenbergs.
Abstract:
Magnetotactic bacteria are single cell organisms that can be controlled using an external magnetic field. They are able to actively move and can be genetically modified, making them a promising model organism in micro-robotics, biophysics, and active matter research. However, quantitative characterization of the motion of magnetotactic bacteria remains challenging due to the many factors that can influence their trajectories. The aim of the thesis is to develop experimental methods for the characterization of the magnetotactic bacteria motion and statistical analysis of the motion of bacterial ensemble. To achieve this, experimental protocols for visualization of the motion of bacteria in external magnetic field were developed, as well as open source methods for trajectory analysis were created, which allow to automatically determine statistics of cell size, speed and magnetic moment. As a result, using newly developed methods, it was shown that in Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense cells there is a direct correlation between cell size and its magnetic moment. A rich source of magnetotactic bacteria was found in the Ogre River in Latvia and the new methods were used to characterize the bacterial population. The developed methods will be used in further studies of magnetotactic bacteria and other magnetically controlled micro-systems.
Reviewers:
1) Dr. habil. phys. Mārcis Auziņš, University of Latvia;
2) Dr. Cecile Fradin, McMaster University, Canada;
3) Dr. Emilie Gachon, Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission, France.
The doctoral thesis is available at the LU Library, Raiņa bulvāris 19.
Participation in the online session is by prior application, writing to sintija.silina@lu.lv by 29th of September.