Wendy Thomas, Ph.D.
Department of Bioengineering
"Molecular Biomechanics of Adhesion"


ABSTRACT

Bacteria need to be able to bind to surfaces under high levels of shear stress from flowing
bodily fluids. The resulting drag force would normally weaken or eliminate biological adhesion,
but bacteria have developed mechanisms at both the nanoscale and microscale to not only
withstand high shear stress but actually bind more strongly under flow than in static
conditions. The biomechanics and significance of this counterintuitive phenomenon will be
presented.