If you've ever seen an odd growth like this on a tree and wondered what it was, it's a tumorous growth called "crown gall disease", caused by pathogenic strains of Agrobacterium.

After infiltrating a plant, they transfer genetic material into the plant's genome, prompting the tissue growth along with production of nutrients useful to the bacteria.

The mechanism can be repurposed for functions more helpful to humans as a form of genetic engineering.

#Science #Nature #Biology #Trees #Plants