title: Learning the language of bacteria.
abstract: Bacteria "talk" with each other by using small molecules that enable individuals in a population to coordinate their behavior. This language is termed quorum sensing. Bacterial pathogens may use this language to decide when to attack a host organism; therefore, the development of artificial signals to interfere with this signal process has become an area of intense chemical research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Hodgkinson
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Spring
mesh_terms: D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D015195:Drug Design; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000276:immunology*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; C064778:LuxR autoinducer binding proteins