Application of Lattice-Boltzman to the Study of the Adhesion Dynamics of E. Coli under Flow

During E. Coli infection of the urinary tract, bacteria are able to withstand significant forces from fluid flow. Bacteria are anchored to the surface via Type 1 fimbriae which have adhesive molecules called FimH at its distal end. In vivo studies of the fimbriae attachment are difficult to perform due to the small size of these structures. In order to gain insight of how FimH catch bounds and fimbriae dynamics are coupled in the context of adhesion and fluid flow, we developed a computer simulation based on the Lattice-Boltzmann method (LBM) couple to a dynamic simulation of the fimbriae.