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
![Profile photo of Martin Schuster.](https://microbiology.oregonstate.edu.prod.acquia.cosine.oregonstate.edu/sites/microbiology.oregonstate.edu/files/styles/1460_x_var/public/2022-09/Martin%20Schuster.jpg?itok=gUrtWRms)
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.