New Method to Visualise Bacterial Communication

(University of Basel, July 18, 2013)

By tagging the signal molecules secreted by bacteria using a novel fluorescent marker developed at the University of Basel, researchers are now able to elucidate the communication pathways in bacteria. Also known as “Quorum Sensing”, this represents a significant step towards understanding important processes in bacteria populations such as the coordinated release of virulence factors or assembly to form biofilms. In their particular study, the researchers demonstrated that their method could have direct implications on immune-compromised or cystic fibrosis patients in which such biofilms can form to cause lung infections. The applications of visualising cell-cell communication in live cells are potentially endless.