Bacterial chemotaxis. Cell flux model, parameter measurement, population dynamics, and genetic manipulation.

In this paper, we summarized our recent efforts toward accomplishing four key goals important for control of microbial population dynamics in nonmixed systems: (1) derivation of a cell population flux model based on individual cell properties; (2) measurement of the population random motility and chemotaxis parameters appearing in this model using a simple experimental assay; (3) quantitative understanding of the effects of cell motility and chemotaxis properties on microbial population dynamics; and (4) manipulation of chemotactic responses by genetic modification.