Caulobacter bacteria are special within the bacterial world thanks to their comma-like shape and sticky superpower. The bacterium Caulobacter crescentus drips a strong glue out of one of its ends so that it sticks to a surface. When this bacterium grows and divides, it produces two different daughter cells: one glued to the surface and the other one free to swim away.
Interestingly, Caulobacter crescentus produces the strongest glue known in microbes. Since the Caulobacter glue is made of complex sugars, it is water-resistant and biodegradable. This ensures that the bacterium always stays where it wants to be in strong water currents.
For a long time, bacteria were classified according to their shapes. With new technologies, we learned that the bacterial shapes help them survive in their environments and face harsh conditions. Spheres, rods, stars and screws: Learn about the different bacterial shapes.
Bacteria divide by measuring their middle and forming a ring. They then extend their cells while the ring tightens. Like this, two daughter cells grow out of one mother cell. However, the daughter cells do not always look the same…
To grow biofilms in water, bacteria need to properly glue themselves to a given surface. The bacterium Caulobacter crescentus produces a bacterial glue that is super strong so that the bacteria will not get washed away. Thanks to this glue, Caulobacter can settle down on almost any surface to build biofilms in water.
