Bacterial Communication
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​Bacteria are highly social organisms, able to mediate interactions with both themselves and other microbes within their environment. Interactions may be in the form of direct contact, or mediated through the production and detection of diffusible signal molecules – a method of communication called quorum sensing (QS). These signaling molecules include proteins and secondary metabolites; once diffused, the chemical signal has the potential to modulate the behavior and fate of a cell and in turn a population, resulting in a coordinated response. Our lab focuses on quantifying these chemical signals and determining the spatial parameters that allow for interactions with neighboring cells or the environment. One method we are using to do this is using a Scanning Electrochemical Microscope (SECM) (Connell et al. 2014). The SECM allows us to map and quantify the production of electroactive metabolites in three-dimensional space and in real-time. In combination with confocal microscopy we can determine the distance required for communication between developing populations of cells.