Bacterial Communication: Antiactivators Prevent Self-Sensing

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.