July 15th – Bacillus mycoides is a gram-positive spore-forming bacterium of the genus Bacillus. Bacillus mycoides cells are usually larger than 3 micrometers, form chains of cells, can form acid from glucose, and this form is non motile. Its cell body does not swell when sporulating; Using Voges–Proskauer test, B. mycoides produces a positive result. It can also hydrolyse starch. B. mycoides is a common soil organism. When grown on solid media B. mycoides forms spreading colonies with a repeating spiral pattern. The direction of curvature of the pattern in a given strain is known as its chirality and is a hereditary trait. The first chiral colony pattern was described by Flügge in 1886. B. mycoides has the unusual property of being able to respond to mechanical force and surface structure variations in the media on which it is growing.