Slice of PLOS: Bacteria’s Social Media

Perhaps when you think of bacterial communities you think of a flask full of rapidly dividing E. coli. But in non-lab conditions, bacteria grow in complex, heterogeneous communities composed of diverse microscopic organisms. This Slice of PLOS looks at how bacteria in these communities communicate with their kin through a language known as quorum sensing, where bugs secrete and detect factors that tell them whether they’re surrounded by buddies and, if so, how many there are.

Image Credit: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002141