which bacteria spread slower ?
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Scientists have found that bacterial groups spread more rapidly over surfaces when the individuals inside them move slowly, a discovery that may shed light on how bacteria spread within the body during infections.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield and the University of Oxford studied Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a species of bacteria responsible for deadly lung infections, which moves across surfaces using tiny grappling hook-like appendages called pili. Similar to the fable of the tortoise and the hare, they found that bacteria engineered to individually move faster actually lost the race against slower strains when moving in densely packed groups.
Using a combination of genetics, mathematics, and sophisticated tracking algorithms that can simultaneously follow the movement of tens of thousands of cells, the researchers demonstrated that collisions between the fast-moving bacteria cause them to rotate vertically and get stuck.
In contrast, slower-moving cells remain lying down, allowing them to keep moving. The slower-moving cells therefore win the race into new territory, acquire more nutrients, and ultimately outcompete the faster moving cells. This research suggests that bacteria have evolved slow, restrained movement to benefit the group as a whole, rather than individual cells.