Bacteria Reach Out and Touch Someone

Although scientists knew that bacteria had a sense of touch, they couldn’t quite put their finger on the underlying mechanism. But now, after a pair of studies, scientists can point to two mechanisms, each involving a different mechanosensing organ. Bacteria, it turns out, may sense surfaces either through their flagella, whip-like appendages used for swimming, or through their pili, hair-like appendages used for crawling.When the flagella flap against a surface, or when the pili feel a tu