News From the Field
Microscopic 'Clutch' Puts Flagellum in Neutral

June 19, 2008

A tiny but powerful engine that propels the bacterium Bacillus subtilis through liquids is disengaged from the corkscrew-like flagellum by a protein clutch, Indiana University Bloomington and Harvard University scientists have learned. Their report appears in this week's issue of Science. Scientists have long known what drives the flagellum to spin, but what causes the flagellum to stop spinning--temporarily or permanently--was unknown. Full Story

Source
Indiana University

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