Talking Bacteria Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Talking Bacteria - Assignment Example n exploit this ability of the bacteria to develop drugs against the toxin as they could understand, the formation of quorum is the right stage when the bacteria produce toxins. Quorum sensing initiates the release of toxins by bacteria for instance, V. cholerae. Every bacteria has its own autoinducer, to communicate with its own kind. This is a signalling process which aids in bacterial communication to aggregate, to form a quorum, to perform their function. 3. Basic scientific research that explores the answers to questions with no practical goal in mind. Some politicians and taxpayers are opposed to spending tax dollars on basic research because such research has no obvious practical application. How does the basic research leading to the discovery of quorum sensing in photobiotic marine bacteria help justify the expenditure of taxpayers’ money? Basic research is the basis of all the advanced research. Quorum sensing enabled one to understand that bacteria do communicate through signalling pathway either to release toxin or to perform some beneficiary role. This signalling resulted in aggregation of bacteria and they bioluminescence only when they are close to each other, indicating that they are going to perform some imperative role. This basis enabled researchers to understand the nature of microbes, production of antibiotic/ toxin and helped researcher to develop drug. Each bacteria has its own autoinducer molecule, for instance, Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa use different versions of AHL molecules (acylated homoserine lactones) to communicate while Staphylococcus aureus use peptides. These autoinducer molecules are signal molecules which help bacteria to aggregate or form quorum, as after forming quorum they produce toxins. 5. Many types of animals that live in the depths of the ocean – where there is no light from the sun – have light-emitting patches. Scientists have discovered that these patches contain glowing bacteria;