The Complex Behavior of Tiny Microbes

Single-celled microbes are an important part of the world’s ecosystems, and they can live in virtually every kind of environment. You can see some of them in the video.

Ciliates are a type of microbe, namely, a group of protozoans that possess cilia, which act like a kind of antenna for cells. This video explores research work on these organisms by Assistant Professor Yukinori Nishigami and colleagues, who study the behavior of ciliates.

Researchers have found that ciliates have a preference for walls; one reason is that nutrients accumulate there. The cilia enable the microorganisms to use mechanosensation to switch from swimming to moving surfaces in the search for food.