Featured Publications
Social evolution of shared biofilm matrix components
Tai J, Mukherjee S, Nero T, Olson R, Tithof J, Nadell C, Yan J. Social evolution of shared biofilm matrix components. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2022, 119: e2123469119. PMID: 35771939, PMCID: PMC9271185, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2123469119.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBiofilm matrix componentsCooperative public goodsMatrix componentsBiofilm formationBiofilm matrix proteinsMatrix productionSocial evolution theoryBiofilm spatial structureCell surface adhesionEvolutionary timescalesCell clustersRelatedness coefficientsBacterial communitiesBiofilm habitatAdhesion proteinsEvolutionary advantageEvolutionary stabilityMatrix proteinsAssociated analysis toolsDiffusible compoundsHost environmentSocial evolutionUbiquitous modeOutstanding questionsProtein
2021
Searching for the Secret of Stickiness: How Biofilms Adhere to Surfaces
Jiang Z, Nero T, Mukherjee S, Olson R, Yan J. Searching for the Secret of Stickiness: How Biofilms Adhere to Surfaces. Frontiers In Microbiology 2021, 12: 686793. PMID: 34305846, PMCID: PMC8295476, DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.686793.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2020
Nonuniform growth and surface friction determine bacterial biofilm morphology on soft substrates
Fei C, Mao S, Yan J, Alert R, Stone H, Bassler B, Wingreen N, Košmrlj A. Nonuniform growth and surface friction determine bacterial biofilm morphology on soft substrates. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2020, 117: 7622-7632. PMID: 32193350, PMCID: PMC7148565, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1919607117.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBiofilm matrix productionBiofilm morphologyBacterial biofilmsAvailability of nutrientsDistinct spatiotemporal patternsImportant physiological consequencesAgar substrateMatrix productionMechanistic insightsPhysiological consequencesBiofilmsSoft substratesSimilar morphologyDiffusion of nutrientsPattern formation processNutrientsBasic mechanismsAgar concentrationEukaryotesMorphological patternsMorphogenesisFundamental determinantsOrganismsGrowthVibrio
2017
Extracellular-matrix-mediated osmotic pressure drives Vibrio cholerae biofilm expansion and cheater exclusion
Yan J, Nadell CD, Stone HA, Wingreen NS, Bassler BL. Extracellular-matrix-mediated osmotic pressure drives Vibrio cholerae biofilm expansion and cheater exclusion. Nature Communications 2017, 8: 327. PMID: 28835649, PMCID: PMC5569112, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00401-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBiofilm-forming bacterial speciesSurface-attached communitiesVibrio choleraeActive cell growthModel organismsMatrix-producing cellsBacterial lifeNutrient uptakeEnvironmental perturbationsBacterial speciesBacterial cellsPlanktonic cellsSubmerged biofilmsExtracellular matrixCell growthMatrix productionOsmotic pressureBiofilm growthBiofilmsCholeraeCellsPhysical exclusionMatrix crosslinkingOsmotic swellingGrowthFlow environment and matrix structure interact to determine spatial competition in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms
Nadell CD, Ricaurte D, Yan J, Drescher K, Bassler BL. Flow environment and matrix structure interact to determine spatial competition in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. ELife 2017, 6: e21855. PMID: 28084994, PMCID: PMC5283829, DOI: 10.7554/elife.21855.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMatrix mutantsWild-type cellsMicrobial communitiesMatrix producersEvolutionary stabilityNon-producing strainsMatrix organizationRelative abundanceExtracellular matrixMatrix secretionMatrix productionMutantsSimple flow regimesInitial frequencyBacteriaNatural environmentBiofilmsPseudomonas aeruginosaAbundanceCompetitive dynamicsPseudomonasSpatial competitionSpatial structureCompetitionPotential explanation