Microbiologists have long known of three major mechanisms for bacteria to share genes, such as those that encode antibiotic resistance. Now, they have discovered a fourth. Like a lava lamp, bacteria can excrete little “blobs” into the environment that contain DNA, and other bacteria can absorb them.

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Microbiologists have long known of three major mechanisms for bacteria to share genes, such as those that encode antibiotic resistance. Now, they have discovered a fourth. Like a lava lamp, bacteria can excrete little “blobs” into the environment that contain DNA, and other bacteria can absorb them.