Phenotypic heterogeneity is a vital aspect of the isogenic bacterial population which contributes to the survival of the species. The focus of my research is to understand the origin of non-genetic phenotypic heterogeneity in isogenic bacterial populations. I am investigating the non-genetic cellular factors responsible for this variability and trying to estimate the timescale over which new phenotype emerge in the population. I am addressing this question by developing a unique microfluidic device to trap single bacterial cells from birth to death and thereby observing the inheritance pattern of different cellular traits in the lineage of these bacterial cells using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy. Inheritance of these non-genetic phenotypes plays an important role in diverse biological phenomena including the response of the immune system to infections. Therefore, the quantitative understanding of the control mechanism of long-term non-genetic inheritance and its effects on various cellular characteristics will allow us to develop quantitative models to predict the fate of the cell and control it when needed.

4/2020