Figure 3From: Swarming and complex pattern formation in Paenibacillus vortex studied by imaging and tracking cellsDynamic imaging of swarming by light microscopy. Stills from movies of swarming motile masses of P. vortex. A. Rotating colonies spinning out from a central mass on MH (1.5% w/v) agar. Material between rotating colonies (all are in motion) is highly reflective basal material with a small number of cells. B. Start of detachment of rotating colony from the edge of a swarming culture on MH (1.5% w/v) agar. Black arrows indicate direction of rotation, with the bulk of cells withdrawing (red arrow) to leave colony isolated. C. As (B), 5 min later with further withdrawal of main mass of cells; a few minutes after this the spinning colony moved away in the direction of the blue arrow. Ba = reflective basal material. D. Moving mass of cells on MH (0.3 % w/v) agar; first image with the center of the tip shown as a green dot and the track of subsequent movement shown as the position of the tip one red dot every 20 s. The tip of a moving mass avoids a second moving strand of cells to which it is interconnected. E. From the same image stack as D but taken 10 min later with same (last) position shown in both (D) and (E) as a blue dot.Back to article page