Heterogeneity in flagella-mediated motility

In planktonic cultures, Shewanella putrefaciens CN-32 employs a bet-hedging strategy with respect to flagella-mediated motility: A subpopulation of the cells elaborates a secondary flagellar system in addition to the single polar system. In the proposed studies, we will determine how such a second flagellar system affects the swimming and navigation performance of the cells. In addition, we will identify the regulatory networks required to establish the heterogeneity in the population.