Phenotypic heterogeneity and bet hedging in chemotaxis of Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli chemotaxis is one of the most analyzed model systems of simple behavioural response. Chemotaxis allows bacteria to follow gradients of nutrients and environmental stimuli and further plays an important role in cooperative behaviour of bacteria and in virulence. The goal of this project is to investigate the origins and consequences of variation in expression of chemotaxis genes across the population, and to analyse the interplay between such population heterogeneity and cooperative behaviour in E. coli. chemotaxis.