In his article “When Germs Talk, Maybe Humans Can Answer” (The New York Times, 25 Feb 07, section 3, pg. 3) Michael Fitzgerald reports on stuff of dreams (or “B” science fiction movies): communication between and among single-celled bacteria.
“Bacteria work in groups, and take action only when their numbers are large enough to achieve their goals, something they determine by using what scientists call ‘quorum sensing.’ If you can keep the bacteria from communicating, they can’t form a quorum – they won’t act.”
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