How bacteria organize cellular space at the microscale and the nanoscale

Cellular space is incredibly crowded with biomolecules yet well-organized. However, we still lack a precise understanding of how cellular spaces at the microscale and the nanoscale are

spatially organized to dictate cellular scale behaviors. In this talk, I will discuss how bacteria as simple living systems organize membrane space at the microscale and the nanoscale to possibly optimize cell fitness. The organization of the cell membrane connects to its physiological state via a combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes. We are trying to disentangle this complexity by testing a fundamental hypothesis suggested by our preliminary observations: the membrane real-estate hypothesis – the cytoplasmic membrane is so packed with proteins that the cell needs to fine-tune the density, composition, and organization of the membrane proteins for optimizing cell fitness. To better test this idea, we quantify and manipulate the density, composition, and spatial organization of membrane proteins and examine their effects on physiological states such as growth, adaptation, and cell death. We will use these results to test physical models that connect membrane properties to cell physiology. The outcomes from this hypothesis-testing can help us bridge cellular organization and physiology and understand better cellular adaptation, a branch of knowledge that can be extended to studying other higher organisms.