The origin of flower-making genes

Flowering plants have evolved from plants without flowers. It is known that the function of several genes, called MADS-box genes, creates shapes peculiar to flowers such as stamens, pistils and petals. Plants that do not ...

Bacteria change a liquid's properties and escape entrapment

A flexible tail allows swimming bacteria to thin the surrounding liquid and to free themselves when trapped along walls or obstacles. This finding could influence how bacterial growth on medical, industrial, and agricultural ...

Sabotaging bacteria propellers to stop infections

When looking at bacteria, you typically see also flagella: long hairs that protrudes from the bacteria's body. The key function of the flagella is movement – what scientists call 'motility'. The flagella give the bacteria ...

Microscopic rowing—without a cox

Many different types of cell, including sperm, bacteria and algae, propel themselves using whip-like appendages known as flagella. These protrusions, about one-hundredth of a millimetre long, function like tiny oars, helping ...

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