Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 14: Poster Session II
BP 14.4: Poster
Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 18:00–21:00, P2
Motility Modes and Deformation Dynamics in Trypanosoma brucei — •Hannes Wunderlich1, Marinus Thein2, Lucas Brehm2, Geena Eglmeier2, Klaus Ersfeld2, and Matthias Weiss1 — 1Experimental Physics I, University of Bayreuth, Germany — 2Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, University of Bayreuth, Germany
Trypanosoma brucei is a unicellular parasitic microswimmer whose flagellum-driven motion and cell-body elasticity are essential for navigating host environments and maintaining immune evasion.
Although run-and-tumble dynamics have been described for both the procyclic and bloodstream forms of T. brucei, details of motility changes and cell deformation during locomotion remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we performed a comparative analysis of the motility of bloodstream- and procyclic-form trypanosomes in controlled microfluidic environments. Using high-resolution recordings in bulk and in confining single-emulsion droplets (allowing tracking over extended periods), we extracted and analyzed positional trajectories and cell-shape time series. As a result, we reveal marked differences in swimming efficiency and overall motion patterns between the two trypanosome forms. Our findings indicate that cell-body elasticity and deformation play a crucial role in motility and may be directly relevant for biological processes such as surface-protein exchange.
Keywords: Trypanosoma; Microfluidics; Tracking; active motility; confined motion