When a bacterium divides, all of the plasmids contained within the cell are copied such that each daughter cell receives a copy of each plasmid. Bacteria can also transfer plasmids to one another ...

However, plasmid copy numbers can fluctuate, causing inconsistent gene expression within bacterial populations. By balancing ...

More information: Saurabh Bhattacharya et al, Flagellar rotation facilitates the transfer of a bacterial conjugative plasmid, The EMBO Journal (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00320-0 Provided by ...

Plasmid vectors can be used to clone, transfer, and manipulate genes. Often, these plasmids carry a gene for antibiotic resistance, which means that researchers can select for cells that are ...

The research is on plasmids, small, circular strands of DNA, that allow bacteria to share genes rapidly, and carry genes conferring antibiotic resistance.