Through the looking glass: An adventure into the metastable world of the bacterial cytoplasm.

Jacobs-Wagner, Christine · Cell · 2024

basic_science · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

This personal story recounts the accidental observation, the struggles, the breakthroughs, and the collaborative spirit of a few individuals that led to the discovery that bacterial cells expend energy to effectively fluidize their otherwise "glass-like" cytoplasm and promote the dispersal of large cytoplasmic components. This adventure, which led us into an uncharted world at the intersection of cell biology and condensed matter physics about ten years ago, forever transformed the way I view cells and conduct research.

Medical subject headings