Quorum sensing molecules: How the body cells spy out bacteria
Friday, December 20, 2019 - 07:40
in Health & Medicine
Bacterial infection does not automatically lead to illness; many germs only become dangerous when they occur in large numbers. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin have discovered that the body has a receptor, which doesn't recognize bacteria themselves, but spies out their communication. The body uses this to register when so many bacteria are present that they secrete illness-inducing substances known as virulence factors.