Large-scale orientational order in bacterial colonies during inward growth

TL;DR

This study reveals how the velocity profile and biomechanical factors during inward bacterial colony growth induce large-scale radial orientational order, affecting defect dynamics and survival strategies.

Contribution

It uncovers a new mechanism where growth geometry and flow-induced forces create stable radial orientation in bacterial colonies.

Findings

Radial orientation is driven by velocity profiles during inward growth.

Bacterial length influences defect dynamics and survival.

Flow and torque balance lead to new stable orientational states.

Abstract

During colony growth, complex interactions regulate the bacterial orientation, leading to the formation of large-scale ordered structures, including topological defects and microdomains. These structures may benefit bacterial strains, providing invasive advantages during colonization. Active matter dynamics of growing colonies drives the emergence of these ordered structures. However, additional biomechanical factors also play a significant role during this process. Here we show that the velocity profile of growing colonies creates strong radial orientation during inward growth when crowded populations invade a closed area. During this process, growth geometry sets virtual confinement and dictates the velocity profile. Herein, flow-induced alignment and torque balance on the rod-shaped bacteria significantly differed, resulting in new stable orientational equilibrium in the radial direction. Our analysis revealed that the dynamics of these orientational defects depend on bacterial length and can promote the survival of the longest bacteria around localized nutritional hot spots. The present results indicate a new mechanism underlying structural order and provide mechanistic insights into the dynamics of bacterial growth on complex surfaces.