Quorum sensing is the ability of bacteria to communicate and coordinate behaviour via signaling molecules.
Bacteria that use quorum sensing produce and secrete certain molecules called autoinducers or pheromones. The bacteria also have a receptor that can specifically detect the inducer. In biology, when the inducer binds the receptor, it activates transcription of certain genes, including those for inducer synthesis.
In the movies, bacteria are red and they become white as soon as their receptors sense autoinducers. Once it happens, bacteria activate their quorum sensing mecanism and start secreting newly autoinducers (black balls).
Movies also show self-assembly among bacteria who have activated their quorum sensing mecanism. This second side effect could be interpreted as biofilm construction.
Download movies
Movie 1 with 50 bacterias population (zip)
Movie 2 with 100 bacterias population (zip)
Movie 3 with 200 bacterias population (zip)
Movie 4 with 300 bacterias population (zip)
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