UC San Diego

The formation of complex multicellular bacterial communities known as biofilms is a process that requires coordination between individual cells. In this work I describe two examples of coordination in B. subtilis biofilms. In the first example, coordination resolves a fundamental trade-off between subpopulations within biofilms. This coordination was shown to be driven by potassium ion-channel mediated electrical signaling. In the second example, electrical signaling enables B. subtilis biofilms to attract motile cells from their surroundings in a species-independent manner. Attraction results in the incorporation of new members into the pre-existing community and can give rise to mixed-species communities. These new examples of coordination in biofilms underscore the complexity of biofilm formation and provide a basis for future research.