Bacterial cell division, a process wherein a single cell divides to form two identical daughter cells, represents one of the most essential biological processes. Understanding the precise mechanism ...

Biologists from ETH Zurich have discovered speargun- like molecular injection systems in two types of bacteria and have described their structure for the first time. The special nanomachines are used ...

Some bacteria carry tiny syringes filled with chemicals that may thin out competitors or incapacitate predators. Now, researchers have gotten up-close views of these syringes, technically known as ...

The filamentous bacterium Corynebacterium matruchotii splitting into multiple cells at once, a rare kind of cell division called multiple fission. C. matruchotii is one of the most common bacteria ...

The mucosal surfaces that line the body are embedded with defensive molecules that help keep microbes from causing inflammation and infections. Among these molecules are lectins—proteins that ...