The team characterized the bacteria's motion as a function of both their length and distance from the surface. The team found that the longer and closer to the surface they were, the slower the E. coli "paddled."

It took the engineers months to perfect the intricate camera and computer system that allowed them to take 60 to 100 sequential images per second, then automatically and efficiently analyze the huge amount of resulting data.

E. coli and other bacteria can colonize wherever there is water and sufficient nutrients, including the human digestive tract. They encounter currents in many settings, from riverbeds to home plumbing to irrigation systems for large-scale agriculture.

"Understanding the physics of bacterial movement could potentially lead to breakthroughs in the prevention of bacterial migration and sickness," Koser said. "This might be possible through mechanical means that make it more difficult for bacteria to swim upstream and contaminate water supplies, without resorting to antibiotics or other chemicals."

Yale engineers for the first time captured the kayak paddle-like motion of E. coli bacteria "paddling" in a liquid medium.

(Photo Credit: Hur Koser/Yale University)

The team took sequential images of the E. coli bacteria to track their movements, which resemble the motion of a kayak paddle, through a liquid medium.

(Photo Credit: Hur Koser/Yale University)

Source: Yale University