News-Medical.Net December 1, 2025
Scientists have long known that bacteria come in many shapes and sizes, but understanding what those differences mean has remained a major challenge, especially for species that can’t be grown in the lab. Now, a new study led by Nina Wale, an Assistant Professor in MSU’s Department of Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology, introduces a groundbreaking method that could change how researchers study bacterial diversity.
The research, published in mSphere, focuses on a tiny, unculturable pathogen called Pasteuria ramosa, which infects water-dwelling crustaceans known as Daphnia. These bacteria are pleiomorphic, meaning they can take on multiple shapes during their life cycle. Until now, scientists had to rely on fluorescent labels – custom-made tags that require detailed knowledge of a bacterium’s...
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