Under stressful conditions this motility, as in other myxobacteria, the cells congregate to form fruiting bodies and differentiate into myxospores.

[6] In lab samples, S. cellulosum grows on agar medium only when certain cell densities are plated.

These many compounds have sparked intense mining of its extensive genome in exploration of possible industrial and medical applications.

[failed verification] [10] Metabolites secreted by Sorangium cellulosum known as epothilones have been noted to have antineoplastic activity.

One such analog, known as ixabepilone is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved chemotherapy agent for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.