Microbial multicellular systems are physical assemblies of genetically identical or heterogeneous microorganisms that exhibit coordinated organization, spatial structuring, and division of labor beyond single-cell behavior. These systems include biofilms, filaments, aggregates, and fruiting bodies, where cell–cell adhesion, extracellular matrix production, and chemical signaling (e.g., quorum sensing, diffusible morphogens) generate emergent mechanical and physiological properties. As physical systems, they are characterized by collective dynamics such as pattern formation, phase-like transitions between dispersed and clustered states, and mechano-chemical feedbacks that regulate growth, differentiation, and resource allocation, making them key model systems for studying self-organization, robustness, and multicellularity in active matter.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that tiny photosynthetic bacteria band together into protective "herds" when attacked by predators—a survival strategy that could also influence how carbon is ...
Cell & Microbiology
19 hours ago
0
10
Faster and more effective ways to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the most life-threatening pathogens, could be possible thanks to a first-of-its-kind ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 14, 2026
0
8
Newly developed microparticles can infiltrate stubborn bacterial matrices and release tiny oxygen bubbles to clean surfaces and wounds more efficiently than hydrogen peroxide or other cleaning agents alone, researchers at ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jul 9, 2026
0
14
Popular science fiction is no stranger to escape-pod scenarios, typically featuring characters who narrowly avoid their demise by jettisoning from a spaceship—think R2-D2 and C-3PO shooting away from a rebel spaceship in ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 7, 2026
0
14
Research has revealed how bacteria rely on circadian clocks to control the spread of their multicellular colonies. The findings provide important clues as to how we might improve soil health and plant growth. They may also ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 26, 2026
0
19
When bacteria are under antibiotic attack, it is not "every man for himself." Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and colleagues from collaborating institutions have discovered that bacterial populations work as a team ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 25, 2026
0
9
Scientists from the Department of Microbiology at the University of Malaga, who are also members of the Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture "La Mayora" (IHSM), have discovered a previously unknown mechanism ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 23, 2026
0
11
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause acute and chronic infections. Responsible for many hospital-acquired infections, it is also a major concern for people with cystic fibrosis, whose lungs are ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 23, 2026
0
88
A recent study by Ruibao Li and Jennah Dharamshi published in Nature may help us understand the beginnings of animal evolution billions of years ago. These findings are the result of a collaboration among researchers at Indiana ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 11, 2026
0
26
Life moves in mysterious ways—and perhaps especially so for organisms that undergo dramatic shifts in levels of self-organization, such as Myxococcus xanthus. A custom-built artificial intelligence system developed by Rice ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 14, 2026
0
28
