Bugs Spread Socially

These pale streaks are made up of millions upon millions of microscopic bacteria – and they’re going places. Many types of bacteria can jump from animals to people, causing dangerous infections such as anthrax, or the so-called superbug MRSA. But some stay put, and don’t spread between different species. Through analysing DNA in almost 200 types of bacteria, researchers have discovered that the most ‘social’ bugs – which co-operate together to create a good environment in which to grow – are the ones most likely to make the leap into humans. Unlike Facebook, the bacterial social network relies on the bugs releasing tiny amounts of chemicals, which act as molecular messages. This helps to adjust the conditions around the bacteria, so they can cope with living in different species. Figuring out how these social networks work could help to predict potentially deadly new infections in the future, and help us fight them.

Written by Kat Arney

Kat Arney

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Dr Kat Arney is an award-winning science writer, broadcaster and public speaker, and is the founder and Creative Director of First Create The Media.

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• Image by Roman Popat
• University of Edinburgh
• Originally published under a Creative Commons Licence (BY 4.0)
• Research published in Nature Communications, August 2014