On pathogenic bacteria

Some of the most pathogenic bacteria in the world possess the ability to quickly overwhelm and kill their prey cells, by injecting toxic proteins into them – often using a process called type VI secretion (T6S). When first discovered in 2006, scientists believed this system was unstoppable, but a new study from Princeton University, USA, and the University of Basel, Switzerland, revealed that if the target cells are a large enough group, the predatory bacteria cannot overpower them all. Although the outer organisms are vulnerable to attack, if the group is big enough the inner cells can reproduce at a rate that means the pathogen is unable to take over.

See:

• Princeton University
• PLOS Computational Biology

 Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle