Natural competence for transformation is a mode of horizontal gene transfer that is commonly used by bacteria to take up DNA from their environment. As part of this developmental program, so-called ...

A community’s survival often depends on communication between individuals, enabling them to share strategies to overcome stress and threats. Bacteria are no different. To survive in the face of their ...

The human gut is awash in a sea of microbes that quietly ferment fibers, produce vitamins, and exchange information with the immune system. 1 Now, scientists are tasking bacteria with yet another job ...