E. Coli and Oxygen: A Motility Transition

The motility of Escherichia coli is correlated with oxygen concentration. We show that oxygen penetrating into an anaerobic sample induces the coexistence of two domains of motile and nonmotile bacteria. This coexistence generates a bacterial accumulation at the border that propagates slowly with a constant velocity. To show that this front propagation follows general scaling arguments, we characterize the sharp and fast motile to nonmotile transition occurring when bacteria exhaust oxygen. Additionally, we develop a novel technique to quantify oxygen in situ without affecting bacteria.