Bacteria, In Order to Survive Can Sometimes Change Its Shape

Superbugs are a constant concern and now there’s a new way scientists have found bacteria are changing to survive.

Transcript

00:00You've probably heard the phrase antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but you might not know the mechanism

00:08by which bacteria evolve to survive medical treatments.

00:11Some mesh with other bacteria combining to become more resilient, while others simply

00:15mutate over time until some are able to survive and reproduce.

00:18But now scientists are looking at a new way the microscopic pathogens are evolving to

00:22rally against modern medicine simply by changing shape.

00:26Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, University College London, and the University

00:30of Chicago recently introduced low levels of antibiotics into a bacteria population.

00:35And over the course of just 10 generations, they found that the bacteria would physically

00:40change, morphing from its classic-looking straight form, folding themselves into a C-shape

00:44while surviving the antibiotic treatment.

00:46The researchers believe that the wider shape provides more volume for the cell, thus diluting

00:50the amount of antibiotics inside it.

00:52The study's lead author, Shiladitya Banerjee, said about the findings,

00:56These shape changes enable bacteria to overcome the stress of antibiotics and resume fast

01:01growth.

01:02What's even more curious, after the antibiotic treatment was stopped, the bacteria returned

01:05to their original shape after several more generations.