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CAREER: Bacterial upstream swimming in self-regulating flow networks — NSF Award to University of Pennsylvania (PA, $549,476)

Bacteria have the remarkable ability to swim upstream. This motion against fluid flows, called rheotaxis, enables bacteria to invade anatomical tracts and biomedical devices. Upstream swimming can lead to conditions including urinary tract infections and the contamination of catheters. This CAREER project will use expe

Award titleCAREER: Bacterial upstream swimming in self-regulating flow networks
Award ID2542731
AwardeeUniversity of Pennsylvania
CityPHILADELPHIA
StatePA
Amount obligated$549,476
Principal investigatorArnoldus Mathijssen
ProgramPMP-Particul&MultiphaseProcess
Start date03/01/2026
AbstractBacteria have the remarkable ability to swim upstream. This motion against fluid flows, called rheotaxis, enables bacteria to invade anatomical tracts and biomedical devices. Upstream swimming can lead to conditions including urinary tract infections and the contamination of catheters. This CAREER project will use experiments and modeling to reveal how bacteria can swim upstream against flows, how bacteria can navigate in complex flow networks, and how microbial communities can gain control over
SourceNSF Awards

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