A Bumpy Pathway to Stationary-Phase Survival in Bacillus subtilis
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 4, 2026

Imaging Mismatch Repair and Cellular Responses to DNA Damage in Bacillus subtilis
Published on: February 8, 2010
1Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Space Life Sciences Laboratory, Merritt Island, Florida, USA WLN@ufl.edu.
Abstract:
Bacillus subtilis cells can mount a number of responses to nutritional deprivation but ultimately either form dormant spores or enter a metabolically quiescent state. In a recent article (mBio 10:e01414-19, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.01414-19, 2019), R. Hashuel and S. Ben-Yehuda report on a novel means by which nutrient-starved B. subtilis cells escape from aging (days-old) colonies by accumulating mutations enabling them to continue growth under nutrient-limited conditions. They postulate that such a strategy may be a major factor determining the dynamics of bacterial populations in natural environments.
More Related Videos
10:03Investigating the Detrimental Effects of Low Pressure Plasma Sterilization on the Survival of Bacillus subtilis Spores Using Live Cell Microscopy
Published on: November 30, 2017
13:28Single-cell Analysis of Bacillus subtilis Biofilms Using Fluorescence Microscopy and Flow Cytometry
Published on: February 15, 2012
Related Concept Videos
Gene Regulation During Sporulation
Stringent Response in E. coli
Bacterial Growth Curve
Other Stress Responses in Bacteria
Viral Replication: Lysogenic Cycle
Endospores and Sporulation