Citation
Quorum sensing in bacteria
TL;DR
Bacteria produce and detect autoinducers whose concentration reflects cell density
This foundational review established the core principles of quorum sensing that continue to guide research today. Miller and Bassler articulated how bacteria use chemical signaling molecules to sense population density and coordinate gene expression.
The paper's framework for understanding threshold-dependent collective action has broad applications beyond microbiology, informing how we think about coordination in any distributed system.
Key Findings from Miller & Bassler (2001)
- Bacteria produce and detect autoinducers whose concentration reflects cell density
- Threshold crossing triggers coordinated gene expression across the population
- Quorum sensing enables single-celled organisms to behave as multicellular collectives
- The mechanism is fundamentally decentralized with no central coordinator