Project Details
Projekt
Conjugative pili drive spatial and functional differentiation in multicellular bacterial biofilms
Applicant
Professor Dr. Marc Erhardt
Subject Area
Metabolism, Biochemistry and Genetics of Microorganisms
Term
since 2025
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 568998182
This project aims to investigate how conjugation via F-pili transforms bacterial biofilms from simple aggregations of cells into spatially organized, functionally interdependent communities. Traditionally regarded as a mechanism for horizontal gene transfer, conjugation is increasingly recognized as a process with far-reaching consequences for microbial ecology, evolution, and community structure. We propose that conjugative pili do more than transfer genetic material by acting as mechanical and developmental tools that physically reshape biofilm architecture, modulate cellular behavior, and give rise to emergent collective traits. Our central hypothesis is that F-pilus-mediated conjugation drives multicellular organization within biofilms by coupling horizontal gene transfer to spatial remodeling and phenotypic differentiation. Through this mechanism, plasmid-bearing (F⁺) and plasmid-free (F⁻) cells may spontaneously adopt specialized roles, leading to division of labor, structural heterogeneity, and increased community-level resilience. These processes reflect general principles of form-function coupling in multicellular systems and suggest that conjugation plays a previously underappreciated role in the evolution of cooperative behavior and functional integration in bacteria. To test these ideas, we will employ a multidisciplinary approach combining genetics, microfluidics, high-resolution 3D time-lapse imaging, and advanced image analysis. This will allow us to track conjugation dynamics in space and time, quantify their impact on biofilm architecture and dispersal, and assess the emergence of collective traits such as antibiotic tolerance, metabolic cooperation, and stress resistance. By treating conjugation not merely as a genetic transaction but as an architectural and ecological driver, we aim to reveal how bacterial collective communities evolve and coordinate emergent functions. This integrated framework will illuminate general principles by which microbial communities transition from unicellular assemblages to spatially structured, functionally interdependent systems.
DFG Programme
Priority Programmes
