New methods to visualize bacterial cell-to-cell communication
Thursday, July 18, 2013 - 10:02
in Biology & Nature
Most bacteria are able to communicate with each other by secreting signaling molecules. Once the concentration of signals has reached a critical density ("the Quorum), the bacteria are able to coordinate their behavior. Only when this critical population density has been reached certain genes are activated that lead to, for example, the formation of biofilms or the expression of virulence factors. Bacteria utilize this so-called "Quorum Sensing" (QS) to synchronize their behavior to regulate functions that benefit the entire population.