Surface curvature both emerges from, and influences the behavior of, living objects at length
scales ranging from cell membranes to single cells to tissues and organs. The relevance of …

Biofilms are structured communities formed by a single or multiple microbial species. Within
biofilms, bacteria are embedded into extracellular matrix, allowing them to build …

The soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus lives in densely packed groups that form dynamic
three-dimensional patterns in response to environmental changes, such as droplet-like …

Biofilms are aggregates of bacterial cells surrounded by an extracellular matrix. Much
progress has been made in studying biofilm growth on solid substrates; however, little is …

Evidence from homogeneous liquid or flat-plate cultures indicates that biochemical cues are
the primary modes of bacterial interaction with their microenvironment. However, these …

The variation associated with different observable characteristics—phenotypes—at the
cellular scale underpins homeostasis and the fitness of living systems. However, if and how …

Active nematics are the non-equilibrium analogue of passive liquid crystals. They consist of
anisotropic units that consume free energy to drive emergent behaviour. As with liquid …

Microbes thrive in diverse porous environments—from soil and riverbeds to human lungs
and cancer tissues—spanning multiple scales and conditions. Short-to long-term …

Mechanical stresses stemming from environmental factors are a key determinant of cellular
behavior and physiology. Yet, the role of self-induced biomechanical stresses in growing …

Bacterial biofilms represent a major form of microbial life on Earth and serve as a model
active nematic system, in which activity results from growth of the rod-shaped bacterial cells …