Bacterial Behavior in Confined Spaces

Abstract

In confined spaces, bacteria exhibit unexpected cellular behaviors that are related to the biogeochemical cycle and human health. Types of confined spaces include lipid vesicles, polymer vesicles, emulsion droplets, microfluidic chips, and various laboratory-made chambers. This mini-review summarizes the behaviors of living bacteria in these confined spaces, including (a) growth and proliferation, (b) cell communication, and (c) motion. Future trends and challenges are also discussed in this paper.