Tutorial for the growth and development of Myxococcus xanthus as a Model System at the Intersection of Biology and Physics

Abstract

Myxococcus xanthus is a unicellular organism whose cells possess the ability to move and communicate, leading to the emergence of complex collective properties and behaviours. This has made it an ideal model system to study the emergence of collective behaviours in interdisciplinary research efforts lying at the intersection of biology and physics, especially in the growing field of active matter research. Often, challenges arise when setting up reliable and reproducible culturing protocols. This tutorial provides a clear and comprehensive guide on the culture, growth, development, and experimental sample preparation of M. xanthus. Additionally, it includes some representative examples of experiments that can be conducted using these samples, namely motility assays, fruiting body formation, predation, and elasticotaxis.

Roberto Cerbino

Professor of Experimental Soft Matter Physics

My research interests include Soft matter physics, living matter, cell biophysics and quantitative microscopy.