An Automated Tabletop Continuous Culturing System with Multicolor Fluorescence Monitoring for Microbial Gene Expression and Long-Term Population Dynamics.

Real-time monitoring of gene expression dynamics and population levels in a multispecies microbial community could enable the study of the role of changing gene expression patterns on eco-evolutionary outcomes. Here we report the design and validation of a unique experimental platform with an in situ fluorescence measurement system that has high dynamic range and temporal resolution and is capable of monitoring multiple fluorophores for long-term gene expression and population dynamics experiments. We demonstrate the capability of our system to capture gene expression dynamics in response to external perturbations in two synthetic genetic systems: a simple inducible genetic circuit and a bistable toggle switch. Finally, in exploring the population dynamics of a two species microbial community, we show that our system can capture the switch between competitive exclusion and long-term coexistence in response to different nutrient conditions.

Lagrangian-Eulerian dynamics of breaking shallow water waves through tracer tracking of fluid elements.

We experimentally investigate the Lagrangian-Eulerian dynamics of fluid motion and wave-form evolution for a breaking shallow water wave approaching a slope by tracking tracer motions. It is found that, before breaking, the surface element can climb over the crest and exhibits cyclic oscillation with small forward drift. The increasing asymmetric tangential compression (accumulation) and rarefaction (depletion) in the crest front and the crest are the keys for the crest front steepening with the increasing particle cyclic excursion and forward Stoke drift. Eventually, the surface layer cannot climb over the crest with the vertical front. It curls up and forms an overhanging plunging jet leading the crest, while the lower flow still can reach the crest rear. This process leads to wave breaking with the rapid drop of crest height and the transition from slow divergence to rapid divergence of the adjacent fluid trajectories.