Sure, but can they Chew gum too?

Journal: Science News
Author: Tina Hesman Saey

A group of undergraduate students, working under the supervision of the biophysicist Gerald Wong, at the University of Illinois discovered that bacteria were able to prop themselves up on string-like appendages called Type IV pili and walk. They unnearthed this using adapted technology, which physiscists used to track microscopic particlets, and computer programs which allowed them to rapidly sort through footage they had made of the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The researchers discovered that the bacteria were able to cover more ground in less time while walking than crawling, and that the ability to walk was actually quite common among the bacteria.
The researchers unnearthed this through the method of discovery science as they were not expecting to make such a find. This discovery may prove usefull in helping scientists understand how some bacteria for a antibiotic-resistant community, called biofilm, and may lead to more efficient ways of combatting them.