Image and Video Gallery

Add to My Images

Large-Resolution Image
543 × 395 pixels
1.810 × 1.317 inches (300 dpi)
135.12 KB
View   Download

Pulsating response to stress in bacteria

ID Number
3253

Description
By attaching fluorescent proteins to the genetic circuit responsible for B. subtilis's stress response, researchers can observe the cells' pulses as green flashes.

In response to a stressful environment like one lacking food, B. subtilis activates a large set of genes that help it respond to the hardship. Instead of leaving those genes on as previously thought, researchers discovered that the bacteria flip the genes on and off, increasing the frequency of these pulses with increasing stress.

From a November 2011 Caltech news release. See entry 3254 for the related video.

Type
Photograph

Source
Michael Elowitz, Caltech University

Credit Line
Michael Elowitz, Caltech University