MicrobesTALK – Talking microbes into biofilms

Microbes are social beings that naturally communicate with each other and live in symbiotic associations. The “microbial language” used by microbial communities is known as quorum sensing, which is a way of chemical communication to coordinate their collective activity. In fact, this “microbial language” modulates many behavioral traits in the microbial world, including biofilm formation. Therefore, gaining control over quorum sensing can be the ultimate tool to control the rate of biofilm formation, constituting a great opportunity for the environmental and industrial biotech sectors.

MicrobesTALK aims to develop a biological control technology that allows to “speak" this microbial language and ultimately to control the collective activity of microorganisms. This novel concept is expected to have a very strong impact on both the scientific community and the industrial sector.