Unique bacteria that survive by employing multicellular behavior

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: An electron microscopy images of multicellular magnetotactic bacteria that featured on the covers of the 2022 edition of The ISME Journal. The image was produced by Schaible and co-workers under the group's NASA awards. Credit: Roland Hatzenpichler / Montana State University In a recent study, researchers gained new insight into the lives of bacteria that survive by grouping together as if they were a multicellular organism. The organisms in the study are the only bacteria known to do this in this way, and studying them could help astrobiologists explain important steps in the evolution of life on Earth. The work is published in the journal PLOS Biology. The organisms in the study are known as multicellular magnetotactic bacteria (MMB). Being magnetotactic means that MMB are part of a select group of bac ... Read full article.