Some bacteria wait until the last minute to synthesize the glue that allows them to permanently attach to surfaces—a process that is important in the environment and also during the infection process. Researchers found that bacteria—including the freshwater bacterium Caulobacter crescentus and the agricultural pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens—first connect to a surface with the cellular equivalents of propellers and cables and that this initial, reversible contact stimulates the synthesis of a sticky glue.
