Datta Lab

Lab of Sujit Datta @Caltech studying transport of soft (“squishy”) and living systems to address challenges in biotech, energy, medicine, & sustainability.

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

The views and opinions expressed in this account are solely those of the members of the Datta Lab and do not necessarily reflect the position of our funding agencies or Princeton University.

(Following, RT, and Likes ≠ endorsement)

[Caltech @Caltech]

New research from the Caltech lab of Sujit Datta, professor of chemical engineering, bioengineering, and biophysics, helps to explain why Phages can sometimes outnumber bacteria a hundredfold, yet the bacteria endure and even thrive.

Read more: https://t.co/9WvBm3jsDH

[Science Advances @ScienceAdvances]

Bacteria can escape viral predators by collectively swimming along chemical gradients, which allows the population to outpace the spreading infection, according to a new study. @TheSquishyLab @Caltech @Princeton https://t.co/W5oY4JajN1

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

@bioactivematter @APSphysics Thanks Kela!

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

Honored to be a fellow of the @APSphysics; this reflects the creativity & effort of all the students & postdocs I've worked with. Thank you to my trainees, collaborators, colleagues, mentors, and the soft matter community for supporting & inspiring me.

https://t.co/iAfvOf6fcZ

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

Thrilled to see this work published in Science Advances.
Check it out at https://t.co/g1gv6xfYxo!

In it, we describe how bacteria use collective migration to outrun spreading infection by phage predators. Summary below!

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

Excited to release our latest work, led by former postdocs Victoria Muir & @almcalvo, along with Ned Wingreen: https://t.co/jTqz5i8yG5!

We found that bacteria use chemical cues to outrun viral predators—establishing a new ecological role of chemotaxis! 🦠

Summary ⬇️ [1/8]

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

@MARGARETSCHEUNG @APSphysics Thanks Margaret!

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

@ayusmansen Thank you Ayusman!

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

@FakhriLab @MIT @APSphysics Congratulations Nikta!! Very well deserved!

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

Excited to see our collaboration with @KatrinaVelle, @FritzLaylin, & others published in @PNASNews. In it, former postdocs @RamaswamyMeera & @BabakVH studied how a relative of "brain-eating" amoebae move through sediment-like packings. 🦠

Check it out at https://t.co/iZPPT6VDrl!

[Will Ratcliff @wc_ratcliff]

1/17 Submissions are now open for the 2027 Microbial Population Biology GRC! We expect this meeting to be extraordinarily oversubscribed. If you want to come, time is of the essence--apply early!

June 27–July 2 • Andover, NH

https://t.co/PkUzSv8y15

[Otto X. Cordero @oxcordero]

New KITP summer program: Phenotypic Heterogeneity & Collective Behavior in Biofilms — summer 2027 at UCSB.
Weeks of seminars, blackboard sessions, and time to think. Apply: https://t.co/M46GZ7ao0Q

[Biomedical Picture of the Day BPoD @BPoD_s]

Study of bacteria in liquid crystals to better emulate their natural environments reveals how the physical forces influence their life

📹 Sebastian Gonzalez La Corte & Thomas G. J. Chandler et al @Princeton in @PNASNews
➡️ https://t.co/cHI7LGCgYm

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

Thrilled to see this work published in @PNASNews .
Check it out at https://t.co/kg8WWYI2ca!

In it, we describe how bacteria growing in nematic liquid crystals form single cell-wide 'chains' that buckle in unusual ways.
Summary below! ⬇️

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

Excited to release our latest work, led by former PhD student @sesgonzalez along with @TGJChandler, @SaverioIV, & Ned Wingreen: https://t.co/6wUiFdOSkw!

We found that bacteria growing in liquid crystals (LCs) form 'chains' that buckle in weird ways... 🦠🍜

Summary ⬇️ [1/6]

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

As always, we would love to hear your feedback; we continue to learn as we explore this growing (pun intended) area of research at the intersection of biology and physics. Please RT/share with whoever might be interested! [5/5]

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

Excited to release a review led by postdocs Pablo Bravo, @DharTanumoy, Eloise Masquelier, & PhD student Danielle Sclafani: https://t.co/GV3qOeszDL!

We argue that studying the feedback between bacteria & soil is an exciting frontier for physics. 🌱🦠

Tweetorial follows... [1/5]

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

Life in soil demands the attention of biological physicists: it is fundamentally interesting and key to understanding the sustainability of this planet. Our goal here is to draw attention to this area by framing open problems & clarifying directions for research. [4/5]

[Datta Lab @TheSquishyLab]

Thrilled that former postdoc @BabakVH is joining the faculty at UC Berkeley! Babak studied how bacteria self-organize in confinement (https://t.co/sDAKJ512HA) & how yeast use biogenic CO₂ bubbles to escape confinement (https://t.co/3KUVdDTQJ0). Many exciting things to come! 🎉

[Babak Vajdi Hokmabad @BabakVH]

I am thrilled to announce that I will be joining the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, @UCB_Chemistry, @UCBerkeley as an Assistant Professor in January 2027!

I am incredibly excited for this next chapter. 🐻 (1/6)

[American Physical Society @APSphysics]

We’re bringing all of our research updates together in one place. Follow @apsjournals for the full portfolio of research and publishing news.