BENGALURU: A new study from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) has uncovered how 3D environments influence bacterial growth and survival. By using 3D models to mimic natural settings such as mucus and soil, researchers found that the shape of bacteria plays a crucial role in their ability to thrive in complex environments.
For more than 300 years, scientists have studied bacteria in the lab, for which they primarily use liquid cultures or flat 2D plates.

While this is convenient and has been invaluable for biological research, it does not reflect natural 3D environments like soil, mucus, or plant and animal tissues.
As a result, little is known about bacterial growth in these complex settings with varying material properties