# Mechanobehavior of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in shear flow

> **NIH NIH K22** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN · 2022 · $106,573

## Abstract

Abstract
Although shear flow in the human body restricts colonization by bacterial pathogens, our understanding
of how bacterial pathogens sense and respond to shear flow is limited. Recently, I combined
microfluidics and transcriptomics to discover that the human pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
senses shear flow through a novel process, which I named rheosensing. Rheosensing uses the sigma-
factor FroR and anti-sigma factor FroI to tune gene expression to the speed of shear flow. Here, I
propose a systems-level approach to characterize the regulatory mechanisms of rheosensing. First, I
will use microfluidic-based transcriptomics to measure genome-wide changes in gene expression while
independently modifying the three parameters of shear flow: flow rate, channel dimensions, and
viscosity. Second, I will determine the regulatory targets of the rheosensing regulators FroR and FroI.
Third, I will couple fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) with transposon sequencing (Tn-seq) to
identify additional sensory and regulatory proteins that control rheosensing. Together, these aims will
provide genome-wide characterization of the targets, signaling pathways, and flow sensors that control
rheosensing. As rheosensing is likely important for host colonization, this study will provide new insight
into the virulence of P. aeruginosa in host-relevant shear flow. Together, the research and career
development plans I outline here will help me obtain a faculty position at a research university, launch
my independent research program, and allow for a seamless transition to the next stage of my career.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10399403
- **Project number:** 5K22AI151263-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
- **Principal Investigator:** Joseph Sanfilippo
- **Activity code:** K22 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $106,573
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-05-01 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10399403

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10399403, Mechanobehavior of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in shear flow (5K22AI151263-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10399403. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*