Bacteria hitch a ride on yeast puddles to zoom around

Watch bacteria 'hitchhike' and zoom around

This pathogenic bacteria can catch rides on yeast puddles to help it spread.

Bacteria hitch a ride on yeast puddles to zoom around

In the world of microorganisms, microbes compete for turf, spew chemicals at foes, and sometimes exploit the microscopic terrain to gain an edge. In a study published in the Biophysical Journal, researchers found that bacteria can speed up by using the fluid pockets shaped by neighboring yeast cells. These microscopic moisture trails allow bacteria to swim farther and spread faster—revealing a new way for microbes to travel through soil, plants,…