quorum sensing

Scientific

/ kwôr′əm /

A phenomenon in which a population of bacteria produces and responds to intercellular chemical signals whose concentration indicates the density of the population. When the density reaches a certain level, genes are expressed that allow for coordinated group behavior, as in bioluminescence or the formation of biofilms.

Example Sentences

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To prevent that, they used a natural bacterial communication process called quorum sensing.

From Science Daily

In a follow-up experiment, they tested their quorum sensing design by programming bacteria to produce a green fluorescent protein, allowing them to confirm that the system activated at the intended moment.

From Science Daily

Quorum sensing relies on chemical signals released by bacteria.

From Science Daily

Inside the human mouth, roughly 700 different bacterial species constantly exchange information through a process called quorum sensing.

From Science Daily

"When we blocked AHL signaling in aerobic conditions, we saw more health-associated bacteria. But when we added AHLs under anaerobic conditions, we promoted the growth of disease-associated late colonizers. Quorum sensing may play very different roles above and below the gumline, which has major implications for how we approach treatment of periodontal diseases."

From Science Daily

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