Speckle fluctuation reveals multiscale dynamics of microparticles in fibrin scaffolds in a model of Staphylococcus aureus infection (Conference Presentation)

Biological processes in health and disease are regulated by dynamic interactions between cells and extracellular protein scaffolds. Staphylococcus aureus infection is a prime example where the interaction between invading bacteria and host fibrin is at the crux of disease progression. We present an optical approach based on laser speckle fluctuation to investigate the multiscale dynamics of microspheres in fibrin scaffolds during clot formation and fibrinolysis, a model for bacteria-fibrin interaction in S. aureus infection. Our approach provides unique biophysical insights on the changing dynamics of particles, mechanical behavior of the extracellular network, and particle-network interaction beyond typical image-based structural metrics.