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Updated: Jul 23, 2025

Application of Biolayer Interferometry BLI for Studying Protein-Protein Interactions in Transcription
Published on: July 26, 2019
A Geneticist Transcribing the Chemical Language of Bacteria
Laura C Miller Conrad1, Lark J Perez2
1Department of Chemistry, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA 95192, USA.
Abstract:
The study of quorum sensing, bacterial cell-to-cell communication mediated by the production and detection of small molecule signals, has skyrocketed since its discovery in the last third of the 20th century. Building from early investigations of bacterial bioluminescence, the process has been characterized to control a numerous and growing number of group behaviors, including virulence and biofilm formation. Bonnie Bassler has made key contributions to the understanding of quorum sensing, leading interdisciplinary efforts to characterize key signaling pathway components and their respective signaling molecules across a range of gram-negative bacteria. This review highlights her work in the field, with a particular emphasis on the chemical contributions of her work.
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