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  • 1600120047416080060019875640030051130PublicAssets/3718Bacterial biofilms are tightly knit communities of bacterial cells growing on, for example, solid surfaces, such as in water pipes or on teeth. Here, cells of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis have formed a biofilm in a laboratory culture. Researchers have discovered that the bacterial cells in a biofilm communicate with each other through electrical signals via specialized potassium ion channels to share resources, such as nutrients, with each other. This insight may help scientists to improve sanitation systems to prevent biofilms, which often resist common treatments, from forming and to develop better medicines to combat bacterial infections. See the Biomedical Beat blog post <a href="http://biobeat.nigms.nih.gov/2015/12/bacterial-biofilms-a-charged-environment">Bacterial Biofilms: A Charged Environment</a> for more information.Gürol Süel, UCSDGürol Süel, UCSDPhotograph

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    CellsChemistry, Biochemistry, and Pharmacology

    A Bacillus subtilis biofilm grown in a Petri dish

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    Bacterial biofilms are tightly knit communities of bacterial cells growing on, for example, solid surfaces, such as in water pipes or on teeth. Here, cells of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis have formed a biofilm in a laboratory culture. Researchers have discovered that the bacterial cells in a biofilm communicate with each other through electrical signals via specialized potassium ion channels to share resources, such as nutrients, with each other. This insight may help scientists to improve sanitation systems to prevent biofilms, which often resist common treatments, from forming and to develop better medicines to combat bacterial infections. See the Biomedical Beat blog post Bacterial Biofilms: A Charged Environment for more information.

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    Gürol Süel, UCSD

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    Gürol Süel, UCSD

    Record Type

    Photograph

    ID

    3718

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