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Research on bacteria communication featured on The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Research on bacteria communication featured on The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Bacterial Communication: Antiactivators Prevent Self-Sensing

Profile photo of Martin Schuster.

Dr. Martin Schuster and graduate student Parker Smith have identified a mechanism that allows bacteria to wait for collective communication within groups of cells, preventing signal “short-circuiting” by individual cells. Bacterial communication relies on chemical signaling molecules that regulate gene expression in a process known as quorum sensing. Quorum sensing coordinates many different collective behaviors in bacterial populations such as infection, biofilm formation, microbial warfare, and nutrient acquisition.