On the response of Escherichia coli to high rates of deformation

Abstract

While a large body of work exists on the low strain-rate loading of biological systems such as bacteria, there is a paucity of information on the response of such organisms at high rates of deformation. Here, the response of a readily accessible strain of bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli), has been examined under shock loading conditions. Although previous studies have shown greatly reduced growth in shock conditions up to several GPa, relationships between loading conditions and bacterial response have yet to be fully elucidated. Initial results of a more rigorous investigation into the 1D shock loading response of E. coli are presented here, expectantly leading to a more comprehensive view of its behaviour when exposed to high pressures. Comparison has been drawn to provide insight into the importance of the nature of the loading regime to the survival of these biological systems