How bacteria swim: Researchers discover new mechanisms

When pathogens invade a human host, they need maximum ability to move through the body as they navigate adverse environments and cause infection. Their ability to drill themselves through gel-like surroundings is often made ...

The sweet spot of flagellar assembly

To build the machinery that enables bacteria to swim, over 50 proteins have to be assembled according to a logical and well-defined order to form the flagellum, the cellular equivalent of an offshore engine of a boat. To ...

New short-tailed whip scorpion species discovered in Amazon

A new species of Surazomus, which belongs to the class Arachnida and the order Schizomida, has been discovered in the eastern Amazon, according to a study published March 20 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Gustavo ...

Study sheds light on bacterial propeller assembly

Many bacteria are equipped with a flagellum, a helical propeller that allows bacteria to travel. The flagellum is assembled in a highly organized manner involving the stepwise addition of each of its internal parts. However, ...

Key adjustment enables parasite shape-shifting

Crafty parasites frequently undergo dramatic shape changes during their life cycles that enable them to adapt to different living conditions and thrive. But these transformations might not be as difficult as they appear, ...

Building 'nanomachines' in biological outer space

Cambridge scientists have uncovered the mechanism by which bacteria build their surface propellers (flagella) – the long extensions that allow them to swim towards food and away from danger. The results, published this ...

High-angle helix helps bacteria swim

(Phys.org) —A high-angle helix helps microorganisms like sperm and bacteria swim through mucus and other viscoelastic fluids, according to a new study by researchers from Brown University and the University of Wisconsin. ...

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