Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Using Coculture to Detect Chemically Mediated Interspecies Interactions
Published on: October 31, 2013
Morphologies of Bacillus subtilis communities responding to environmental variation
Sohei Tasaki1,2, Madoka Nakayama3, Wataru Shoji1,4
1Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences (FRIS), Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Japan.
Abstract:
Bacterial communities exhibit a variety of growth morphologies in constructing robust systems under different environmental conditions. We review the diverse morphologies of Bacillus subtilis communities and their mechanisms of self-organization. B. subtilis uses different cell types to suit environmental conditions and cell density. The subpopulation of each cell type exhibits various environment-sensitive properties. Furthermore, division of labor among the subpopulations results in flexible development for the community as a whole. We review how B. subtilis community morphologies and growth strategies respond to environmental perturbations.
Related Concept Videos
Microbial Morphologies
Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes
Bacterial Phylum Firmicutes
Modern Molecular Taxonomy

