Biologists Investigate Smallest Propeller on Earth
upstart writes:
University of Exeter scientists have discovered new information about the tiny propellers used by single-cell organisms called archaea.
Like bacteria, archaea are found in a vast range of habitats - including inside human bodies - but unlike bacteria they are not known to cause disease.
Some archaea propel themselves to incredible speeds by rotating a spiral-shaped filament called an archaellum. Using a powerful cryo-electron microscope, the new study examined this closer than ever before.
The research team - which included the University of Regensburg - focussed on Methanocaldococcus villosus, a species found near underwater volcanoes off Iceland, where water temperatures can reach about 80C.
"M. villosus swims at a speed of about 500 body lengths per second," said Dr. Lavinia Gambelli, of Exeter's Living Systems Institute (LSI).
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