Bacillus spores are remarkable structures formed by certain bacteria, particularly those in the Firmicutes phylum, which allow them to survive extreme environmental conditions. These spores can ...

Scientists recreated the origins of one of life's most important partnerships, uncovering how symbiotic relationships can ...

To comply, NASA has sought to sanitize Mars rovers at a threshold of no more than 300,000 bacterial spores on any surface.

This was not the case with the injected Mycetohabitans bacteria: While the fungus was forming spores, some of the bacteria managed to get into them and thus were passed on to the next generation.