The molecular machinery that keeps bacteria on course

Many bacteria use a whip-like 'flagellum' to move around their environment - away from danger and towards food. New research reveals the molecular machinery behind bacteria's ability to rapidly change direction.

[chexo]

Oh my god it’s literally just a fucking microscopic gear

[AmryL]

Today the algorithm blessed me with this knowledge.

[LFTRnow]

This rotation looks exactly like the ATP manufacturing system (from ADP and another phosphate). I just recently saw this vid (lUrEewYLIQg) by Clockwork, showing a rotating mechanism essentially assembling ATP and the rotation being caused by H+ ion concentration and repulsion. Fascinating. Would love to see a longer version of this flagellum motor vid. Maybe Chemistry World might want to colab with someone, perhaps Clockwork, perhaps even Kurtgestat?

[brnto]

I love how RNA leads to the creation of 3D structures which can then do useful things and further combine into more useful things. It’s like a 3D Turing machine but where the output has physical functionality so is infinitely more useful. It’s like the ultimate programming language and computer combined into a single complex process. It’s stunning.

[hirofox]

This stuff blows my mind. Molecular machines are so amazing.

[georgeofhamilton]

Does this mean there are more wheels than doors?

[FutureAIDev]

Interesting, the way that mechanical switch protein changes the direction of the output while keeping the direction of the input the same reminds me of how a car transmission can switch from a forward gear to a reverse gear.

[jatigre]

Gotta give credit to all those engineers trillions of years ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

[PushyPawn]

I *knew* I heard something squeaking while trying to get to sleep.

[sephirothcloud]

We didn't invented anything, we just remembered how we are made

[margueriteoreilly]

Great way for kids to understand the Mechanics...they get it better than adults..Belfast Ireland 🇮🇪

[ashrocks]

I am interested in understanding how they have negotiated with the rear earth metal holding countries for continuous supply for the sake of creating permanent magnets to ensure efficient locomotion, it is also important for us to know how they could have stayed profitable for so many years, and I presume they might have made a killing in earning carbon credits

[moistmike]

I find it amazing that it all this highly-refined, seemingly purpose-built, nano-level structure all just happened by random accident.

[kriegjaeger]

What's remarkable to me is people cannot deny intelligent design in this, but reject the designer.

[taukid]

What's up with the off-brand circus music?

[kma]

Interesting visual. The music overlay was obnoxious and too loud. I did learn something, but this was unwatchable with the sound on.

[Phaneron]

We live inside E8, the 4 21 Gosset Polytope or an 8 dimensional crystal 🔮 Evolution didn't even have to naturally select for this configuration of proteins. It was always preprogrammed and already existing within the lattice. All that had to occur was emergence.

[ricardocalderon]

Hmm but what is turning motA/B? Very interesting. I believe nature knows mechanics better than us so if we study nature we can innovate our technology too.

[SciD]

Let’s be honest. We can’t actually see what’s happening at that scale in full detail. Most of what’s claimed is just inference, not direct observation. These so-called molecular motors are mostly theoretical reconstructions, not filmed machinery. A motor doesn’t build itself, and there’s no invisible “designer” either. The truth is probably simpler and more physical, something driven by energy gradients, pressure, and bioelectric fields. Not magic, not randomness, just real-world dynamics we still barely understand. Everyone keeps acting like chemotaxis is the big boss in cell behavior, but it’s way too slow to explain real-time responses. The actual control system is bioelectricity. Fast, coordinated, and capable of instant communication across cells. The chemicals are just the workers, they carry out orders after the signals are sent. Without the bioelectric patterns guiding them, they wouldn’t even know what to do.

This is a pattern seen all across modern science: "observations" that are really just data processed through a filter of belief. The "black hole" cgi is a good example...

[PTBadger]

Yeah, it's an illusion. God did it.