22/9/2008
“Microbes are always going to be one step ahead of us. Their
generation time is 24 hours, ours is 30 years. They mutate, they
change, they will find a way. They are amazing opportunists.”
Dorothy Crawford -Professor of Medical Microbiology at the
University of Edinburgh and author of Deadly Companions.
Scientists are on the verge of decoding the special chemical
language that bacteria use to "talk" to each other by using
small molecules to coordinate their behavior and decide when
it's a good time to infect you. It has become clear that
bacteria mainly crowd together in highly complex, multi-species
communities.
Microbes release small molecules that enable millions of
individuals in a population to coordinate their behavior.
Disease-causing bacteria use this language to decide when to
infect a person or other host. Decoding the structure and
function of compounds involved in this elaborate signaling
process, known as 'quorum sensing,' could lead to new medicines
to block the signals and prevent infections.
Posted by Casey Kazan.
Related Galaxy posts:
Don't miss the fascinating video, The Ghost Map -the story of
the great cholera outbreak that devastated London in the 1870's.
The Ghost Map
Deadly Companions: Animal-born Microbes Pose Threat of Global
Pandemic
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/10/animal-born-mic.html
Hot Zone: Scientists Unlock Secret of 1918 "Spanish Flu"
Pandemic
Pandemics from Outer Space Possible? Europe's Scientists Discuss
The Future of Humans in Space
You'll find related stories by following the links below.
http://www.huff-report.com/news/35333/toward-a-rosetta-stone-for-microbes-secret-language
http://www.primidi.com/2007/12/13.html
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-12/acs-acs120407.php
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2007/12/071210094701.htm
Source:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/mtu-fxt091608.php
see also HERE