Saurabh Bhattacharya

Bacterial nanotubes extend from a tubeosome organelle to establish an intercellular bridge

This study visualizes bacterial nanotube formation in Bacillus subtilis, revealing a novel membranous organelle called the tubeosome that facilitates intercellular communication.

A family of endonucleases that block nanotube-mediated plasmid dissemination

The paper identifies YokF, a nuclease that blocks plasmid transfer via nanotubes in Bacillus subtilis, and shows its homologs in other bacteria restrict NPex.

A conjugative plasmid exploits flagella rotation as a cue to facilitate its transfer

The paper shows that the plasmid pLS20 uses flagella rotation to trigger conjugation in Gram-positive bacteria, enabling DNA transfer in liquid environments.