Fig. 5

a Model of: A schematic representation of Engineered E. coli-PYR1 diffusion through the shoot in the xylem vessel of a plant. The diagram highlights the interaction between water/sap transport and bacterial dynamics. Bacteria move along the flow of water or sap within the xylem, encountering obstacles such as cell walls b Effect of advection on E. coli’s speed over time under two conditions: with advection (red line) and without advection (blue line). Advection notably increases the initial bacterial speed due to fluid flow in the xylem, with a sharp decay over time. In the absence of advection, bacterial movement relies solely on diffusion, resulting in consistently low speed throughout the time period