#b. subtilis

[stanfordbrownigem2012]

[touba]

Confocal micrograph of a bacterial biofilm by Fernan Federici, Tim Rudge, PJ Steiner, and Jim Haseloff, via the Wellcome Image Awards 2012.

"This confocal micrograph, taken as part of a synthetic biology project, shows Bacillus subtilis, a Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in soil. Distinct lineages of bacteria expressing different fluorescent proteins were initially mixed randomly on a petri dish. As the bacteria grow, they organise themselves into reproducible patterns and shapes that can be predicted with mathematical models. The horizontal field width of this image is 500 microns[...]The synthetic biology project that produced this image involved designing artificial genetic circuits for pattern formation in bacterial colonies and plant tissues."