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 ...

The research team discovered that the rotation of flagella in Bacillus subtilis acts as a mechanical signal that activates key conjugation genes. This enables donor bacteria to form clusters with ...

The bacterium Bacillus subtilis can be found anywhere from soil to a human’s gastrointestinal tract. Known as hay or grass bacillus, B. subtilis is often used as an agricultural plant to deter ...

Tiny clutches already exist in nature – for example, the bacterium Bacillus subtilis has long, hair-like structures called flagella, each attached to a rotating molecular engine. “Once [the ...