Long-Distance Electron Transport in Unicellular Organisms and Biofilms.

Abstract

Electrical forces are widespread in single-celled organisms and underpin sophisticated communication systems. Bacterial biofilm colonies, for example, attract new members electrically. Bacteria also join together end to end and engage in long-distance electron transport along bacterial filaments over centimetres. This transport of electrons across around 10,000 cells separates life-essential redox reactions spatially and keeps "colleagues breathing" in otherwise challenging aquatic sediments.