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The majority of bacteria are organized in surface-associated communities, the so called biofilms. Crucial processes that drive the formation of such biofilms are the motility of bacteria on a substrate, enabling cells to reach each others vicinity, and attractive cell-cell-interactions, driving the formation of microcolonies. These colonies, aggregates consisting of thousands of cells, are the precursors of biofilms. In this thesis we investigate the role of cell appendages, called type IV pili, in the substrate motion of bacteria and the formation of bacterial microcolonies. Therefore, we study the bacterial dynamics with the help of experiments and theoretical models. We introduce a novel simulation tool in the tradition of Brownian dynamics simulations. In this computational model, that was developed alongside experimental observations, we study how explicit pili dynamics, pili-substrate and pili–pili interactions drive the cell dynamics. First, we apply our model to investigate how individual cells move on a substrate due to cycles of protrusion and retraction of type IV pili. We show that the characteristic features, in particular persistent motion, can solely originate from collective interactions of pili. Next, we perform experiments to study the coalescence of bacterial microcolonies. With the help of experiments and our computational model, we identify a spatially-dependent gradient of motility of cells within the colony as the origin of a separation of time scale, a feature which is in disagreement with the coalescence dynamics of fluid droplets. Additionally, we show that altering the force generation of pili can cause demixing of cells within bacterial aggregates. Finally, we combine our knowledge of the substrate motion of cells and of the pili-mediated interactions of colonies to identify the main processes (aggregation, fragmentation and cell divisions) that drive assembly of colonies. Starting from experiments, we develop a mathematical model and observe excellent qualitative and quantitative agreement to experimental data of the density of colonies of different sizes. In summary, hand in hand with experiments, we develop theoretical frameworks to unravel the role of type IV pili in bacterial surface motility, microcolony dynamics and colony formation.

The majority of bacteria are organized in surface-associated communities, the so called biofilms. Crucial processes that drive the formation of such biofilms are the motility of bacteria on a substrate, enabling cells to reach each others vicinity, and attractive cell-cell-interactions, driving the formation of microcolonies. These colonies, aggregates consisting of thousands of cells, are the precursors of biofilms. In this thesis we investigate the role of cell appendages, called type IV pili, in the substrate motion of bacteria and the formation of bacterial microcolonies. Therefore, we study the bacterial dynamics with the help of experiments and theoretical models. We introduce a novel simulation tool in the tradition of Brownian dynamics simulations. In this computational model, that was developed alongside experimental observations, we study how explicit pili dynamics, pili-substrate and pili–pili interactions drive the cell dynamics. First, we apply our model to investigate how individual cells move on a substrate due to cycles of protrusion and retraction of type IV pili. We show that the characteristic features, in particular persistent motion, can solely originate from collective interactions of pili. Next, we perform experiments to study the coalescence of bacterial microcolonies. With the help of experiments and our computational model, we identify a spatially-dependent gradient of motility of cells within the colony as the origin of a separation of time scale, a feature which is in disagreement with the coalescence dynamics of fluid droplets. Additionally, we show that altering the force generation of pili can cause demixing of cells within bacterial aggregates. Finally, we combine our knowledge of the substrate motion of cells and of the pili-mediated interactions of colonies to identify the main processes (aggregation, fragmentation and cell divisions) that drive assembly of colonies. Starting from experiments, we develop a mathematical model and observe excellent qualitative and quantitative agreement to experimental data of the density of colonies of different sizes. In summary, hand in hand with experiments, we develop theoretical frameworks to unravel the role of type IV pili in bacterial surface motility, microcolony dynamics and colony formation.:1. Introduction 2. Computational model of bacterial motility and mechanics 3. Motility of single bacteria on a substrate 4. Coalescence and internal dynamics of bacterial microcolonies 5. Demixing of bacterial microcolonies 6. Self-assembly of microcolonies 7. Summary and Outlook A. Details of the Simulation model B. Experimental protocols C. Geometric estimation of the parameters of the stochastic model D. Solutions for simplified models of pili-mediated cell motion E. Image analysis of experimental data F. Simulations and data analysis G. The mean squared relative distance (MSRD)

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