Small Things Considered

If there's a hot topic in microbiology, it's bacterial interaction and communication. Bacteria “talk” to each other using a complex chemical language we are only just beginning to understand. Quorum sensing allows communication between spatially separated cells of similar species. Functioning similarly, bacteriocins warn nonimmune bacteria away from a bacterium's established niche. Type VI secretion systems also help a bacterium protect its niche, but by initiating contact between cells. Here, I'll describe another instance of cell-to-cell interaction where bacteria don't just communicate, but also heal.