[DBS seminar] Andrej Vilfan, "Chiral motility of filamentous cyanobacteria"

Thursday 12 Nov 2026, 14:15 → 15:15 Europe/Ljubljana

Seminar room of physics (106) (IJS)

Many species of cyanobacteria exhibit gliding motility along surfaces to navigate complex environments and adapt to fluctuating conditions. We studied the gliding motility of filamentous cyanobacteria Lyngbya lagerheimii at the transition between different physical environments. On a dry surface, a filament adopts a curved shape that turns right while gliding.  The mechanism involves a unique way of transferring the structural chirality to the macroscale and also a unique physical navigation mechanism. When two or more cyanobacteria filaments interact with each other, the chirality of their gliding can lead to the formation of twisted tangles.