Publication Highlights
(For a full list of publications see below or go to Google Scholar)
In this paper, we proposed the hypothesis that bacterial cell division requires the accumulation of division proteins to a fixed threshold number. By combining single-cell microfluidics, programmed genetic modulation, and automated image analysis, we confirmed this hypothesis in both E. coli and B. subtilis cells. This latter result explains mechanistically why a wide range of bacterial species follow the “adder” principle of cell-size homeostasis.
Fangwei Si *, Guillaume Le Treut *, John T. Sauls, Stephen Vadia, Petra Anne Levin, & Suckjoon Jun
Current Biology 29(11), 1760-1770.e7 (2019)
Video Abstract, Coverage by phys.org
In this paper, we hypothesized that the E. coli cell is composed of conceptual “unit cells.” By extensively perturbing the growth physiology in steady-state conditions using genetic and pharmacological methods, we discovered the invariant initiation mass as the basic unit of the cell size. This finding unraveled how cells coordinate their biomass and DNA content by imposing a simple control on replication initiation.
Fangwei Si *, Dongyang Li *, Sarah E. Cox, John T. Sauls, Omid Azizi, Cindy Sou, Amy B. Schwartz, Michael J. Erickstad, Yonggyn Jun, Xintian Li, & Suckjoon Jun
Current Biology, 27(9), 1278-1287 (2017)
Commentary, Coverage by phys.org , ScienceDaily
Full List of publications
Effects of antibiotics on bacterial cell morphology and their physiological origins
Callaghan Cylke, Fangwei Si, & Shiladitya Banerjee
Biochemical Society Transactions, doi:10.1042/BST20210894 (2022)
prior to CMU
Tools and methods for high-throughput single-cell imaging with the mother machine
Ryan Thiermann, Michael Sandler, Gursharan Ahir, John T Sauls, Jeremy W Schroeder, Steven D Brown, Guillaume Le Treut, Fangwei Si, Dongyang Li, Jue D Wang, & Suckjoon Jun
eLife, 12, RP88463 (2024)
Quantitative examination of five stochastic cell-cycle and cell-size control models for Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis
Guillaume Le Treut, Fangwei Si, Dongyang Li, & Suckjoon Jun
Frontiers in Microbiology, 10.3389/fmicb.2021.721899 (2021)
Single-cell data and correlation analysis support the independent double adder model in both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis
Guillaume Le Treut, Fangwei Si, Dongyang Li, & Suckjoon Jun
bioRxiv, doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.08.084376 (2020)
Comment on Initiation of chromosome replication controls both division and replication cycles in E. coli through a double-adder mechanism
Guillaume Le Treut, Fangwei Si, Dongyang Li, & Suckjoon Jun
bioRxiv, doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.08.084376 (2020)
Mother machine image analysis with MM3
John T. Sauls, Jeremy W. Schroeder, Steven D. Brown, Guillaume Le Treut, Fangwei Si, Dongyang Li, Jue D. Wang, & Suckjoon Jun
bioRxiv, doi.org/10.1101/810036 (2019)
Mechanistic origin of cell-size control and homeostasis in bacteria
Fangwei Si *, Guillaume Le Treut *, John T. Sauls, Stephen Vadia, Petra Anne Levin, & Suckjoon Jun
Current Biology 29(11), 1760-1770.e7 (2019)
Fundamental principles in bacterial physiology – history, recent progress, and the future with focus on cell size control: a review
Suckjoon Jun, Fangwei Si, Rami Pugatch, & Matthew Scott
Reports on Progress in Physics, 81(5), 056601 (2018)
Invariance of initiation mass and predictability of cell size in Escherichia coli
Fangwei Si *, Dongyang Li *, Sarah E. Cox, John T. Sauls, Omid Azizi, Cindy Sou, Amy B. Schwartz, Michael J. Erickstad, Yonggyn Jun, Xintian Li, & Suckjoon Jun
Current Biology, 27(9), 1278-1287 (2017)
Role of membrane-tension gated Ca2+ flux in cell mechanosensation
Lijuan He, Jiaxiang Tao, Debonil Maity, Fangwei Si, Yi Wu, Tiffany Wu, Vishnu Prasath, Denis Wirtz, & Sean X. Sun
Journal of Cell Science, 131(4), jcs208470 (2018)
To grow is not enough: impact of noise on cell environmental response and fitness
Nash D. Rochman, Fangwei Si, & Sean X. Sun
Integrative Biology, 8(10), 1030-1039 (2016)
Volume regulation and shape bifurcation in the cell nucleus
Dong-Hwee Kim, Bo Li, Fangwei Si, Jude M. Phillip, Denis Wirtz, & Sean X. Sun
Journal of Cell Science, 128(18), 3375-85 (2015)
Bacterial growth and form under mechanical compression
Fangwei Si *, Bo Li *, William Margolin, & Sean X. Sun
Scientific Reports, 5, 11367 (2015)
Organization of FtsZ filaments in the bacterial division ring measured from polarized fluorescence microscopy
Fangwei Si, Kimberly Busiek, William Margolin, & Sean X. Sun
Biophysical Journal, 105(9), 1976-1986 (2013)
Mechanical control of bacterial cell shape
Hongyuan Jiang, Fangwei Si, William Margolin, & Sean X. Sun
Biophysical Journal, 101(2), 327-335 (2011)
Microstructures and mechanical properties of silks of silkworm and honeybee
Kai Zhang, Fangwei Si, Huiling Duan, & Jianxiang Wang
Acta Biomaterialia, 6(6), 2165-2171 (2010)
*: co-first authors