by Christoph — Mention "flagella" and we microbiologists instantly think of these ingenious appendages that bacterial cells use to propel themselves through fluids of varying viscosities (archaea do this, too, with their archaella). We rarely think of them as an accessory to transport cargo. Yes "cargo," you read correctly, but maybe you remember...
by Elio — When I started out in microbiology some 70 years ago, bacteria were just little balls or sausage-shaped rods, and, if you were of a fancy mindset, corkscrew-like structures. Some were endowed with flagella or capsules, but not much else. Their surface area was limited to what you could see under an optical microscope.
by Elio — Best I can tell, the marine flatworms Paracatenula suggest a novel twist on symbiosis. Here, symbiotic bacteria do not just provide carbon compounds for their host but actually store them. And they do that also for energy...
by Elio — Microbiology, we will agree, is a vast subject where many important aspects are likely to evade one's sight. Here's an example – the formation of vesicles from the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. This phenomenon, known as vesiculation, is widespread and noteworthy for enhancing our understanding of bacterial capabilities and for…
