Stigmergy: A key driver of self-organization in bacterial biofilms.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial biofilms are complex multicellular communities that are often associated with the emergence of large-scale patterns across the biofilm. How bacteria self-organize to form these structured communities is an area of active research. We have recently determined that the emergence of an intricate network of trails that forms during the twitching motility mediated expansion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms is attributed to an interconnected furrow system that is forged in the solidified nutrient media by aggregates of cells as they migrate across the media surface. This network acts as a means for self-organization of collective behavior during biofilm expansion as the cells following these vanguard aggregates were preferentially confined within the furrow network resulting in the f

SUBMITTER: Gloag ES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3984292 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature