Phone (Office): 401-863-2681
Phone (Lab): 401-863-1405
Office: Barus & Holley 618
email: Guanglai_Li@brown.edu

• B.S., 1993, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China
• M.S., 1996, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Ph.D., 1999, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
• 1999-2001, Postdoc, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• 2002-2003, Postdoc, Department of Physics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
• 2004-present, Assistant Professor of Physics (Research), Brown University

I am interested in the behavior of Caulobacter crescentus, a gram-negative bacterium ubiquitous in aqueous environments often dilute in nutrients. C. crescentus exhibits a dimorphic life cycle composed of a swarmer cell phase and a stalked cell phase, which probably provides an advantage in such competitive environments. The swarmer cell has a single polar flagellum. Flagellar motility allows the swarmer cell to explore new environments where nutrients may be more plentiful. The stalked cell possess an adhesive holdfast, through which the cell attaches to a solid surface tightly. The stalked cells benefit from the strong attachment since there are usually more nutrients near a surface. My research currently focuses on (1) the functions of the Caulobacter flagellum and the swimming patterns of the swarmer cells and (2) the properties and development of the holdfast on a solid surface.

On Biological Physics

Li, G. and Tang J. X.,
Accumulation of microswimmwers near a surface mediated by collision and rotational Brownian motion
Phys. Rev. Lett., 103, 078101 (2009) (PDF).

Li, G., Tam, L.K., and Tang, J.X.,
Amplified effect of Brownian motion in bacterial near-surface swimming.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105, 18355-18359 (2008) (PDF)

Wen, Q., Li, G., Tang, J.X., and Huber, G.,
Switching Statistics of a Flagellar Motor: First-Passage Time and Dynamic Binding.
J. Stat. Phys. 128, 257-267 (2007) (PDF)

Li, G., and Tang, J. X.,
Low Flagellar Motor Torque and High Swimming Efficiency of Caulobacter crescentus Swarmer Cells.
Biophys. J. 91, 2726-2734 (2006). (PDF)

Li, G., Smith, C. S., Brun, Y. V., and Tang, J. X.,
The Elastic Properties of the Caulobacter crescentus Adhesive Holdfast Are Dependent on Oligomers of N-Acetylglucosamine.
J. Bacteriology 187, 257-265 (2005) (PDF)

Li, G., and Tang, J. X.,
Diffusion of Actin Filaments Within a Thin Layer Between Two Walls.
Phys. Rev. E 69, 061921 (2004). (PDF)

On Material Science

Lou, S.T., Gao, J.X., Xiao, X.D., Li, X.J., Li, G.L., Zhang, Y., Li, M.Q., Sun, J.L., Hu, J.,
Studies of nanobubbles produced at liquid/solid interfaces.
Mater. Character. 48, 211-214 (2002)

Li, G.L., Zhang, Y., Li, B., Hu, J., and Li, M.,
Fine Structure of DNA Bundles: Atomic Force Microscopy Study.
Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 40, L1330-L1332 (2001)

Li, G.L., Liu, M., and Wang, G.H.,
Microstructure studies of potassium hexatitanate whiskers.
J. Mater. Res.16, 3614-3620 (2001) (PDF)

Li, G.L., Wang, G.H., and Hong, J.M.,
Synthesis and characterization of rutile TiO₂ nanowhiskers.
J. Mater. Res.14, 3346-3354 (1999) (PDF)

Li, G.L., Wang, G.H., and Hong J.M.,
Synthesis of K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whiskers by the method of calcination of KF and TiO₂ mixtures.
Mater. Res. Bull. 34, 2341-2349 (1999) (PDF)

Li, G.L., Wang, G.H., and Hong J.M.,
Synthesis and characterization of K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whiskers with diameter on nanometer scale
J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 18 1865-1867 (1999)

Li, G.L. and Wang, G.H.,
Synthesis of nanometer-sized TiO₂ particles by a microemulsion method
Nanostruct. Mater. 11, 663-668 (1999) (PDF)

Li, G.L., Wang, G.H., and Hong, J.M.,
Morphologies of rutile form TiO₂ twined crystals
J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 18, 1243-1246 (1999)