A tiny but powerful engine that propels the bacterium Bacillus subtilis through liquids is disengaged from the corkscrew-like flagellum by a protein clutch, scientists have learned. Scientists have ...

Scientists have studied a new target for antibiotics in the greatest detail yet – in the fight against antibiotic resistance. The ‘molecular machine’ flagellum is essential for bacteria to cause ...

We analysed L. mexicana flagellum length, structure and biochemical changes, using electron microscopy and cell lines-expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) fusions of axonemal proteins, ...

Millions of people worldwide are affected by African sleeping sickness, Chagas disease and other life-threatening infections caused by microscopic parasites borne by insects such as the tsetse fly.

When headed the wrong way, some bacteria turn by letting their propellers flop. The newly discovered turning mechanism explains how a marine bacterium can control its direction using only a single ...

To function properly and propel the bacterium, the flagellum requires all of its components to fit together to exacting measurements. In a new study, researchers report the eludication of a mechanism ...

Across all species, directed movement is essential for nutrient acquisition, energy harvesting, and the avoidance of danger or sources of stress. Organisms have evolved specific means of locomotion ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Among bacteria’s many attributes, perhaps one of its most ...

It has been long been known that bacteria swim by rotating their tail-like structure called the flagellum. (See the swimming bacteria in the figure.) The rotating motion of the flagellum is powered by ...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A tiny but powerful engine that propels the bacterium Bacillus subtilis through liquids is disengaged from the corkscrew-like flagellum by a protein clutch, Indiana University ...