Bacteria from the Agrobacterium genus

Bacteria from the Agrobacterium genus live in the environment, for example in the soil close to plants. Some members, like Agrobacterium tumefaciens, can even enter plants and transfer parts of their DNA into the plant. The bacterial DNA triggers the plant to grow a tumor and make it sick. Scientists use this specific bacterium in the lab to give new DNA to plants and better understand how plants grow.

Explore Agrobacterium bacteria

Creating the colours of the rainbow: Bacteria and the vibrant world of pigments

Our world as well as the bacterial world are full of vibrant colours. These colours exist thanks to biopigments; molecules able to capture light and reflect the corresponding colour. Many organisms, as well as bacteria, learned to use biopigments to harvest energy from sunlight, fight foes and adapt to new and challenging environments. Read on to learn what makes the bacterial world so colourful and why biopigments are the Earth’s life savers.

Learning with Agrobacterium tumefaciens: Understanding plants better

The bacterial world is teeming with superheroes that hold the key to unravelling nature’s mysteries. Some bacteria have build remarkable partnerships with plants which not only help us better understand plants but also revolutionize agriculture and biotechnology. Here, we delve into the fascinating relationship between the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens and plants and see how it allowed us to uncover the green world of plants.

Bacteria use the type 6 secretion system (T6SS) to kill other bacteria with a crossbow and arrow.

A bacterial nanoweapon called the type 6 secretion system

Bacterial killing is happening everywhere where bacteria fight for space and nutrients. Some bacteria have highly efficient weapons to kill other microbes. These killer bacteria can survive in the rarest and driest environmental niches. Just by killing other bacteria.
What kind of fantastic nanoweapon is that?

Learn more about the fascinating world of bacteria