T. Hwa

Marine Bacteria Alteromonas spp. Require UDP-glucose-4-epimerase for Aggregation and Production of Sticky Exopolymer

This study shows that UDP-glucose-4-epimerase is required for aggregation and exopolymer production in marine bacteria Alteromonas spp., highlighting their role in particulate organic matter aggregation.

Dynamic coexistence driven by physiological transitions in microbial communities

This paper introduces a model to study microbial community dynamics by focusing on physiological state transitions rather than fixed interactions, identifying key features of dynamic coexistence.

Spatiotemporal development of growth and death zones in expanding bacterial colonies driven by emergent nutrient dynamics

This study shows that bacterial colony expansion is driven by mechanical constraints and nutrient gradients, with cell death occurring in a distinct zone due to glucose depletion and anaerobiosis.

Sustained growth and rapid dispersal of chitin-associated marine bacteria

This study shows that Vibrio sp. 1A01 grows on chitin particles with a replicating subpopulation and a planktonic majority, sustained by chitinases left by detached cells.

A Metabolic Sum Rule Dictates Bacterial Response to Short-Chain Fatty Acid Stress

The paper identifies a metabolic sum rule in bacteria showing that exogenous metabolite accumulation depletes endogenous metabolites, causing growth reduction, and demonstrates how cells mitigate this by acidifying their cytoplasm.

A Genome-Scale Metabolic Model of Marine Heterotroph Vibrio splendidus sp. 1A01

The paper constructs a genome-scale metabolic model for Vibrio splendidus sp. 1A01 to study its metabolism and addresses challenges in modeling marine microorganisms.

Dynamic metabolic exchanges between complementary bacterial types provide collaborative stress resistance

The paper studies metabolic interactions between bacterial species under acidification, showing how complementary metabolic strategies enable collaborative stress resistance and dynamic ecosystem behavior.

Coordination of gene expression with cell size enables Escherichia coli to efficiently maintain motility across conditions

This study shows E. coli upregulates motility genes at slow growth to maintain flagella number and motility, while larger cell size at fast growth optimizes resource allocation.

Suboptimal proteome allocation during changing environments constrains bacterial response and growth recovery

This study shows that Escherichia coli's response to changing nutrient conditions is constrained by limited protein synthesis capacity, leading to suboptimal gene expression and slower growth recovery.

A general quantitative relation linking bacterial cell growth and the cell cycle

This study challenges two established dogmas about bacterial cell growth and reveals a new linear relation between cell mass and division count across a wide range of growth rates in E. coli.