Title: Bacterial persistence as a phenotypic switch

Abstract:

A fraction of a genetically homogeneous microbial population may survive exposure to stress such as antibiotic treatment. Unlike resistant mutants, cells regrown from such persistent bacteria remain sensitive to the antibiotic. We investigated the persistence of single cells of Escherichia coli with the use of microfluidic devices. Persistence was linked to preexisting heterogeneity in bacterial populations because phenotypic switching occurred between normally growing cells and persister cells having reduced growth rates. Quantitative measurements led to a simple mathematical description of the persistence switch. Inherent heterogeneity of bacterial populations may be important in adaptation to fluctuating environments and in the persistence of bacterial infections.

Biography:

Jack Merrin earned his BA in physics with a minor in mathematics from Columbia University in 1998. He earned his Ph.D. from Princeton in 2006 in physics. Jack currently specializes in physics and biological applications of microfluidics at IST Austria.