Nontoxic colloidal particles impede antibiotic resistance of swarming bacteria by disrupting collective motion and speed

A monolayer of swarming B. subtilis on semisolid agar is shown to display enhanced resistance against antibacterial drugs due to their collective behavior and motility. The dynamics of swarming motion, visualized in real time using time-lapse microscopy, prevents the bacteria from prolonged exposure...

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Main Authors: Lu, Shengtao, Liu, Fang, Xing, Bengang, Yeow, Edwin Kok Lee
Other Authors: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2016
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Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/81850
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/39696
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
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spelling sg-ntu-dr.10356-818502023-02-28T19:28:58Z Nontoxic colloidal particles impede antibiotic resistance of swarming bacteria by disrupting collective motion and speed Lu, Shengtao Liu, Fang Xing, Bengang Yeow, Edwin Kok Lee School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Self-propelled particles Colloids A monolayer of swarming B. subtilis on semisolid agar is shown to display enhanced resistance against antibacterial drugs due to their collective behavior and motility. The dynamics of swarming motion, visualized in real time using time-lapse microscopy, prevents the bacteria from prolonged exposure to lethal drug concentrations. The elevated drug resistance is significantly reduced when the collective motion of bacteria is judiciously disrupted using nontoxic polystyrene colloidal particles immobilized on the agar surface. The colloidal particles block and hinder the motion of the cells, and force large swarming rafts to break up into smaller packs in order to maneuver across narrow spaces between densely packed particles. In this manner, cohesive rafts rapidly lose their collectivity, speed, and group dynamics, and the cells become vulnerable to the drugs. The antibiotic resistance capability of swarming B. subtilis is experimentally observed to be negatively correlated with the number density of colloidal particles on the engineered surface. This relationship is further tested using an improved self-propelled particle model that takes into account interparticle alignment and hard-core repulsion. This work has pertinent implications on the design of optimal methods to treat drug resistant bacteria commonly found in swarming colonies. Published version 2016-01-13T07:51:36Z 2019-12-06T14:41:32Z 2016-01-13T07:51:36Z 2019-12-06T14:41:32Z 2015 Journal Article Lu, S., Liu, F., Xing, B., & Yeow, E. K. L. (2015). Nontoxic colloidal particles impede antibiotic resistance of swarming bacteria by disrupting collective motion and speed. Physical Review E, 92, 062706-. 1539-3755 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/81850 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/39696 10.1103/PhysRevE.92.062706 en Physical Review E © 2015 American Physical Society. This paper was published in Physical Review E and is made available as an electronic reprint (preprint) with permission of American Physical Society. The published version is available at: [http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.92.062706]. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic or multiple reproduction, distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law. 10 p. application/pdf
institution Nanyang Technological University
building NTU Library
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider NTU Library
collection DR-NTU
language English
topic Self-propelled particles
Colloids
spellingShingle Self-propelled particles
Colloids
Lu, Shengtao
Liu, Fang
Xing, Bengang
Yeow, Edwin Kok Lee
Nontoxic colloidal particles impede antibiotic resistance of swarming bacteria by disrupting collective motion and speed
description A monolayer of swarming B. subtilis on semisolid agar is shown to display enhanced resistance against antibacterial drugs due to their collective behavior and motility. The dynamics of swarming motion, visualized in real time using time-lapse microscopy, prevents the bacteria from prolonged exposure to lethal drug concentrations. The elevated drug resistance is significantly reduced when the collective motion of bacteria is judiciously disrupted using nontoxic polystyrene colloidal particles immobilized on the agar surface. The colloidal particles block and hinder the motion of the cells, and force large swarming rafts to break up into smaller packs in order to maneuver across narrow spaces between densely packed particles. In this manner, cohesive rafts rapidly lose their collectivity, speed, and group dynamics, and the cells become vulnerable to the drugs. The antibiotic resistance capability of swarming B. subtilis is experimentally observed to be negatively correlated with the number density of colloidal particles on the engineered surface. This relationship is further tested using an improved self-propelled particle model that takes into account interparticle alignment and hard-core repulsion. This work has pertinent implications on the design of optimal methods to treat drug resistant bacteria commonly found in swarming colonies.
author2 School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
author_facet School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Lu, Shengtao
Liu, Fang
Xing, Bengang
Yeow, Edwin Kok Lee
format Article
author Lu, Shengtao
Liu, Fang
Xing, Bengang
Yeow, Edwin Kok Lee
author_sort Lu, Shengtao
title Nontoxic colloidal particles impede antibiotic resistance of swarming bacteria by disrupting collective motion and speed
title_short Nontoxic colloidal particles impede antibiotic resistance of swarming bacteria by disrupting collective motion and speed
title_full Nontoxic colloidal particles impede antibiotic resistance of swarming bacteria by disrupting collective motion and speed
title_fullStr Nontoxic colloidal particles impede antibiotic resistance of swarming bacteria by disrupting collective motion and speed
title_full_unstemmed Nontoxic colloidal particles impede antibiotic resistance of swarming bacteria by disrupting collective motion and speed
title_sort nontoxic colloidal particles impede antibiotic resistance of swarming bacteria by disrupting collective motion and speed
publishDate 2016
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/81850
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/39696
_version_ 1759855513855590400