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Best mini-lecture I've heard in years. I was enthralled....
by this molecular biologist's presentation. It is a few years old (Feb., 2013) but still applicable!
How bacteria "talk" - Bonnie Bassler
Feb 9, 2013
Talk by Bonnie Bassler
TED-Ed
View full lesson: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnZBYkFCME93U0hBdDd4Smt3VDJMdDFhbWxqd3xBQ3Jtc0tuSGYzS3J0T0ZXYmdVbmxMdWpKVlN6M2FFV0tXQTE4ZUlyaVJLdFh4M1BfV0NnMXdDZVZTOWNLMVRMREdSRUZXM0NPN3pUc1NoRzlPMFQ3Mk9mQjBHZ1dvQ0V0cG1xTGFJNzVFaEtZbHM1djRhWk52UQ&q=http%3A%2F%2Fed.ted.com%2Flessons%2Fhow-bacteria-talk-bonnie-bassler
Bonnie Bassler discovered that bacteria "talk" to each other, using a chemical language that lets them coordinate defense and mount attacks. The find has stunning implications for medicine, industry -- and our understanding of ourselves.
From her bio on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnie_Bassler :
Early life and education
Born in Chicago and raised in Danville, California, Bassler was intellectually curious from a young age, as she enjoyed solving various logic puzzles. Bassler began her career in science "as a veterinarian’s assistant at the Miami Zoo and later at a local dog and cat clinic." Bassler received a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the University of California, Davis. Despite her entry as a major in veterinary sciences, she preferred to focus on genetics and biochemistry. She stated that these subjects allowed her the "gateway to solving biological puzzles." She began to work for UC Davis biochemistry and molecular medicine professor Frederic Troy. Troy's research focuses included bacterial carbohydrates and the relationship between the Epstein-Barr virus and cancer. At the time, the cancer project appealed to Bassler more than the research on bacteria, but Troy assigned her to the bacteria research project. Within this project, Bassler characterized an enzyme in E. coli which cleaved sugars from various membrane glycoproteins. Eventually, Bassler admired working with prokaryotes as she stated that "they're the perfect creatures to work on."
Following her undergraduate research, Bassler received a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Johns Hopkins University. She achieved key insights into the mechanism by which bacteria communicate, known as quorum sensing. Her postdoctoral research was conducted at Agouron Institute in genetics for four years. Here, she studied glow-in-the-dark bacteria that cause the oceanic light show. She used her previous knowledge and research to demonstrate that when there were enough cohorts to make effort, bacteria gave off light. In 1994, Bassler joined the Princeton faculty. She is currently the chair of the department of molecular biology and the Squibb Professor in molecular biology. Following her postdoctoral research, the MacArthur Foundation awarded Bassler its fellowship in 2002, which recognized her for her immense contributions to the bacterial lexicon.
Born in Chicago and raised in Danville, California, Bassler was intellectually curious from a young age, as she enjoyed solving various logic puzzles. Bassler began her career in science "as a veterinarian’s assistant at the Miami Zoo and later at a local dog and cat clinic." Bassler received a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the University of California, Davis. Despite her entry as a major in veterinary sciences, she preferred to focus on genetics and biochemistry. She stated that these subjects allowed her the "gateway to solving biological puzzles." She began to work for UC Davis biochemistry and molecular medicine professor Frederic Troy. Troy's research focuses included bacterial carbohydrates and the relationship between the Epstein-Barr virus and cancer. At the time, the cancer project appealed to Bassler more than the research on bacteria, but Troy assigned her to the bacteria research project. Within this project, Bassler characterized an enzyme in E. coli which cleaved sugars from various membrane glycoproteins. Eventually, Bassler admired working with prokaryotes as she stated that "they're the perfect creatures to work on."
Following her undergraduate research, Bassler received a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Johns Hopkins University. She achieved key insights into the mechanism by which bacteria communicate, known as quorum sensing. Her postdoctoral research was conducted at Agouron Institute in genetics for four years. Here, she studied glow-in-the-dark bacteria that cause the oceanic light show. She used her previous knowledge and research to demonstrate that when there were enough cohorts to make effort, bacteria gave off light. In 1994, Bassler joined the Princeton faculty. She is currently the chair of the department of molecular biology and the Squibb Professor in molecular biology. Following her postdoctoral research, the MacArthur Foundation awarded Bassler its fellowship in 2002, which recognized her for her immense contributions to the bacterial lexicon.
Enjoy!.......
