Bacteria are everywhere and can survive in almost anything. Finding out exactly how bacteria respond and adapt to stresses and dangers will further our understanding of the basic survival mechanisms of some of the most resilient, hardy organisms on Earth.
Toward that goal, a bacteria cell's 'crisis command center' has been observed for the first time swinging into action to protect the cell from external stress and danger, according to new research out today.
It's like Team America: World Police, except there are no animatronic puppets or Alec Baldwin impressions.
The crisis command center in certain bacteria cells is a large molecule, dubbed a 'stressosome' by the scientists behind today's research.