Bacillus subtilis spreads by surfing on waves of surfactant
From Soft-Matter
currently being edited by Nikolai
Contents
Reference
Bacillus subtilis spreads by surfing on waves of surfactant
Angelini T.E., Roper M., Kolter R., Weitz D.A., Brenner M.P.
PNAS 106: 18109-18113 (2009) PMID: 19826092 (Pubget)
Motivation
In times of stress Bacillus subtilis form a dense mat of exopolysacharides that allows the bacteria to bind to solid or liquid surfaces. The molecular signaling underlying the initiation and growth of biofilms have been extensively studied. One under-studied question, though, is the nature of the mechanism by which biofilms spread. The spreading is initiated when nutrients in the environment run low, and has probably evolved to help B. subtilis find new food sources.
