Bacteria, like neurons in our brains, communicate using electrical signals. They fire rapid bursts of electricity to send messages to their kin, which is a surprising discovery that could change our understanding of how microbes behave. This new understanding suggests that bacteria are not simple, solitary cells, but complex organisms that can ‘talk’ to each other in sophisticated ways.
Gurol Suel, a biophysicist at the University of California, San Diego, and his team discovered this phenomenon while studying biofilms, which are slimy bacterial cities that can cause troublesome infections. They found that bacteria in biofilms transmit electrical signals to coordinate their behaviour, much like neurons in a brain. These signals help bacteria respond to changing conditions, such as the availability of nutrients.
The electrical communication in bacteria is made possible by ion channels, which are proteins that create a pathway for charged particles. Bacteria use potassium ions to carry the electric charge, similar to how neurons use sodium and potassium ions.
This discovery could have significant implications for understanding bacterial behaviour and treating bacterial infections. For instance, it could lead to new ways to disrupt bacterial communication and combat biofilm infections, which are notoriously difficult to treat.
Go to source article: https://www.quantamagazine.org/bacteria-use-brainlike-bursts-of-electricity-to-communicate-20170905/