Jamming the signal

摘要

Bacteria communicate with their neighbours through chemical signals. They use the information thus gathered to direct their behaviour, working as individ- ual cells when they are at low density and then switching to more collaborative group behaviour at higher densities. It is when they are hunting as a pack that bac- teria are particularly dangerous, for it is then that disease-causing microbes be- come powerful enough to attack living tis- sue and to fend off many sorts of antibiotic that would kill them individually.