Observe how bacteria grow in a petri dish, while E Coli grows slowly but firmly in clusters Acinetobacter baylyi spreads out in all directions until it covers the entire petri dish. But what happens when you mix these two bacterial species in a petri dish? Well, something unusual happens that was never observed before. Both bacterial species combine to form a mysterious flower-like pattern. The discovery is of interest not only to microbial artists but also to scientists who study complex patterns of bacteria in the wild. It also has potential medical benefits specially in long term medical implants like pacemakers where bacteria create problems.