Infection by bacteriophage lambda: an evolving paradigm for cellular individuality
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Updated: Feb 19, 2026

Following Cell-fate in E. coli After Infection by Phage Lambda
Published on: October 14, 2011
1Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
Abstract:
Since the earliest days of molecular biology, bacteriophage lambda has served to illuminate cellular function. Among its many roles, lambda infection is a paradigm for phenotypic heterogeneity among genetically identical cells. Early studies attributed this cellular individuality to random biochemical fluctuations, or 'noise'. More recently, however, attention has turned to the role played by deterministic hidden variables in driving single-cell behavior. Here, I briefly describe how studies in lambda are driving the shift in our understanding of cellular heterogeneity, allowing us to better appreciate the precision at which cells function.
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