Flat bacteria in nanoslits
25 August 2009 by M&CIt appears that bacteria can squeeze through practically anything. In extremely small nanoslits they take on a completely new flat shape. Even in this squashed form they continue to grow and divide at normal speeds. This has been demonstrated by research carried out at TU Delft’s Kavli Institute of Nanoscience. The results appeared in the online edition of the prestigious scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and as the cover article in the September 1 print issue of PNAS.
Look for more information about
- research on bacteria in nanoslits.
- European Research Council grant for research at the cutting edge of biology and nanotechnology
Image: Artist’s impression of bacteria (below left) squeezing through a nanoslit (middle), after which they come out again in unusual shapes (top right). Note that the bacteria in the nanochannels are flattened (Kavli TU Delft / Tremani).
