Fractal patterns spontaneously emerge during bacterial cell growth
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 - 10:30
in Biology & Nature
Despite bacterial colonies always forming circular shapes as they grow, their cells form internal divisions which are highly asymmetrical and branched. These fractal (self-similar) patterns are due to the physical forces and local instabilities that are a natural part of bacterial cell growth, a new study reveals. The research has important implications for the emerging field of synthetic biology.