A central challenge of modern-day biology is to understand how cells control their mechanical behavior to develop multicellular life and also the pertaining diseases. For example, many bacterial pathogens can generate mechanical forces that are important for the colonization of surfaces, formation of antibiotic-resistant biofilms, and infection of host cells. BacForce addresses the fundamental question of how bacteria can control their force generation to robustly colonize complex surfaces. The objectives are to (A) gain access to nanoscopic mechanical phenomena through the development of cutting-edge microscopy, (B) employ the methods to characterize how the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa controls pilusgenerated forces, and (C) establish how surface properties affects force generation by P. aeruginosa during biofilm formation. In an interdisciplinary approach, BacForce will combine mechanical measurements with genetic perturbations, molecule labeling, and computer simulations to produce functional models of the mechanocontrol strategies. Through these advances, behavioral strategies will be uncovered that are paradigmatic for diverse Gram-negative pathogens. Broadly, such pathogen behaviors have a generic, minimal nature and can appear as basic motives in different organisms throughout nature.