title: Applications of imaging for bacterial systems biology.
abstract: Imaging has fueled exciting advances in bacterial cell biology, which have led to exquisite understanding of mechanisms of protein localization and cell growth in select cases. Nonetheless, it remains a challenge to connect subcellular dynamics to cellular phenotypes. In this review, I explore synergies between imaging and systems approaches to bacterial physiology. I highlight how single-cell, time-lapse imaging under environmental or chemical perturbations yields insights that complement traditional observations based on population-level growth on long time-scales. Next, I discuss applications of high-throughput fluorescence imaging to dissect genetic pathways and drug targets. Finally, I describe how confocal imaging is illuminating the role of spatial organization in the structure and function of bacterial communities, from biofilms to the intestinal microbiota.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Electronic address: kchuang@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Kerwyn Casey
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018441:Biofilms; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000502:physiology; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000502:physiology; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D049490:Systems Biology / Q000379:methods*