Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Time-lapse Imaging of Bacterial Swarms and the Collective Stress Response
Published on: May 23, 2020
Cell-cell communication by quorum sensing and dimension-reduction
Johannes Müller1, Christina Kuttler, Burkard A Hense
1Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Technical University Munich, Boltzmannstr. 3, 85748 Garching/Munich, Germany. johannes.mueller@gsf.de
Abstract:
Several bacterial taxa change their behavior if the population density exceeds a certain threshold. This phenomenon is the consequence of a communication system between the bacteria and is called quorum sensing (QS). Up to now, this phenomenon is mostly modeled at population level. However, new experimental techniques allow for single cell analysis. We introduce a modeling approach for the description of this QS system, including a discussion of the regulatory network and its bistable behavior. Based on this single-cell model we develop and analyze a spatially structured model for a cell population. Special attention is given to the scaling behavior w.r.t. the cell size (leading to an approximation theorem for stationary solutions) and its consequences for the interpretation of cell communication (QS versus diffusion sensing). Concluding, we apply the modeling approach to spatially structured experimental data.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Bacterial Signaling
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
Overview of Cell Signaling
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...
Yeast Signaling
What is Cell Signaling?
What is Cell Signaling?

