Building 'nanomachines' in biological outer space
Friday, November 15, 2013 - 07:00
in Biology & Nature
Cambridge scientists have uncovered the mechanism by which bacteria build their surface propellers (flagella) – the long extensions that allow them to swim towards food and away from danger. The results, published this week in the journal Nature, demonstrate how the mechanism is powered by the subunits themselves as they link in a chain that is pulled to the flagellum tip.