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Bacteria are not the solitary simple organisms as they are usually
perceived. In nature, they are usually self-organize into complex structured
colonies with more bacteria than the number of people on earth. I will
present a wealth of beautiful patterns formed during colony development in
the lab when natural conditions are mimicked. The emerged patterns reflect
some novel survival strategies invented by the bacteria. To decipher these
secret strategies we invoke ideas from studies of non-living complex systems
together with model simulations. Using the models, I will demonstrate how
communication enables colonial self-engineered organization via cooperative
behaviour of the cells.
By talking to each other, bacteria can cooperatively glean information from the environment and from other organisms, interpret the information in a "meaningful" way, develop common knowledge, and learn from past experience. The colony behaves much like a multicellular organism, or even a social community with elevated complexity and plasticity that afford better adaptability to whatever growth conditions might be encountered. |