A plasmid is a small, circular, double-stranded DNA molecule that is distinct from a cell's chromosomal DNA. Plasmids naturally exist in bacterial cells, and they also occur in some eukaryotes.

If we can work out the roles plasmids play inside bacteria, then we can use the information to develop a new generation of therapeutics that can target drug resistant infections. John Innes Centre ...

Fu and colleagues used Vibrio cholerae bacteria as a model for studying the plasmid defense system known as DdmDE, consisting of proteins called DdmD and DdmE, using cryo-electron microscopy to ...

As part of this DNA exchange, plasmids often provide recipient bacteria with genetic advantages. For example, many antibiotic-resistance genes are spread through plasmid transfer between bacteria, ...