Creating 'Cannibal' Bacteria

[rhoenix]

Bacterial infections are the number one killer in hospitals, and while most can be treated with antibiotics, there are many strains that have developed resistance to the drugs. New research from Tel Aviv University and Texas University suggests that bacteria can be outsmarted by turning their natural defense mechanisms against them, which can completely wipe them out without using antibiotics.

When bacteria are starved or exposed to other stressors, they release a chemical that kills off some of the colony so that the rest can survive. But, according to Eshel Ben-Jacob of TAU, co-author of the study, they exhibit a kind of “rudimentary social intelligence” which prevents them from killing the entire colony. The new research exploits that idea by exposing two neighboring sibling colonies to the same chemical signal.

The result was that the siblings—which came from the same original colony—killed each other off. And, when the chemical messages between the sibling colonies were cut off, the bacteria stopped dying.

Custom-Made Bacteria
The bacteria used in the study, Paenibacillus dendritiformis, was developed by Ben-Jacob specifically for this type of experiment. According to Ben-Jacob, P. dendritiformis have a complex social life and display relatively large, striking patterns that make reactions to the chemicals easy to observe. The bacteria have genes specific to cannibalism, communication, and have a highly developed defense system, which makes them ideal for exploring ways in which to exploit these features.

P. dendritiformis is not pathogenic, so there is no risk of infection for the researchers. The bacteria are also representative of many strains that are resistant to antibiotics, which makes them a good model for experimentation.

Smart Bugs
According to Ben-Jacob, bacteria are surprisingly intelligent: “In the medical community, they perceive the bacteria as a collection of dumb creatures, but they actually not.” This collective intelligence can and should be used to turn the bacteria against itself, rather than spending time and money developing antibiotics, he says.

In this study, each bacteria colony is around four inches in diameter, and the number of bacteria is around ten times the world’s human population. Every individual bacterial cell is in constant communication with all the rest. “Think of it as if ten times the number of people on earth were all connected by SMS to every other one, sending messages all the time. It is even better than fastest kid texting today,” said Ben-Jacob.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Sorry, I prefer bacteriophage. Once the bacteria are killed, the phage dies off. It's a proven method without resorting to complex signalling pathways.

It is nice to see some praise for the little bugs though. People often see bacteria as stupid blobs that self-replicate without end, but I could easily say the same for a number of humans I've come across. Their ability to adapt and co-ordinate (check bio-film formation on any surface) is truly amazing.

[Singular Intellect]

I have to admit, any kind of intelligence for bacteria is news for me. I simply thought they replicated and adapted via evolution, and that was about it.

[OsirisLord]

I have to admit, any kind of intelligence for bacteria is news for me. I simply thought they replicated and adapted via evolution, and that was about it.

I don't think intelligence is the right word here. Unless of course when bacteria group into large enough colonies that with all the massive number of individual cells exchanging chemicals with one an other it creates some kind of weird semi-self aware hive mind that is capable of limited self-preservation.

[PainRack]

Sorry, I prefer bacteriophage. Once the bacteria are killed, the phage dies off. It's a proven method without resorting to complex signalling pathways.

It is nice to see some praise for the little bugs though. People often see bacteria as stupid blobs that self-replicate without end, but I could easily say the same for a number of humans I've come across. Their ability to adapt and co-ordinate (check bio-film formation on any surface) is truly amazing.

Aren't bacteriophages still mostly restricted to Russia and Eastern Europe though?

[Eris]

Sorry, I prefer bacteriophage. Once the bacteria are killed, the phage dies off. It's a proven method without resorting to complex signalling pathways.

It is nice to see some praise for the little bugs though. People often see bacteria as stupid blobs that self-replicate without end, but I could easily say the same for a number of humans I've come across. Their ability to adapt and co-ordinate (check bio-film formation on any surface) is truly amazing.

Aren't bacteriophages still mostly restricted to Russia and Eastern Europe though?

While bacteriophages have not been used as alternatives to conventional drug treatments for bacterial infections much outside of the former Soviet Union, they are in fact one of the most widespread and prolific forms of 'life' on the planet, and they're used all over the place in genetics and microbiology labs in myriads of different strains. It would not be a crippling burden to start developing and using them as antibacterials in any first world nation.

[PainRack]

Anyone has any idea how fast bacteriophages work though?

For those who read the initial story of penicillin injection into a policeman, its true. Seeing someone literally recover and become alert after you start IV antibiotics......... well, its a true miracle of science. Just minutes after the IV injection, a person who's severely septic would become more alert........ in an hour, he's "well".

[Akkleptos]

Sorry, I prefer bacteriophage. Once the bacteria are killed, the phage dies off. It's a proven method without resorting to complex signalling pathways.

YEah, but viruses are unconfortably prone to mutating, and you never know when you're going to end up with a harmful strain (well, you know, but only to a certain degree). Other than that, it's a good idea.

For those who read the initial story of penicillin injection into a policeman, its true. Seeing someone literally recover and become alert after you start IV antibiotics......... well, its a true miracle of science. Just minutes after the IV injection, a person who's severely septic would become more alert........ in an hour, he's "well".

I say "more research. Interesting".

I don't think intelligence is the right word here. Unless of course when bacteria group into large enough colonies that with all the massive number of individual cells exchanging chemicals with one an other it creates some kind of weird semi-self aware hive mind that is capable of limited self-preservation.

Certainly. Intelligence, by definition, implies understanding (Latin intelligere: to understand; modern meanings: to understand, to comprehend, to think abstractly, to predict based on limited information). A more appropriate wording would be, IMHO, "selective-adaptation treat".

[Admiral Valdemar]

YEah, but viruses are unconfortably prone to mutating, and you never know when you're going to end up with a harmful strain (well, you know, but only to a certain degree). Other than that, it's a good idea.

Phages only attack bacteria, so they're no threat to us, while messing with cell signalling pathways is less clear cut and could bite us in the arse if not careful.

[Serafina]

A bacteriophage suddendly mutating to attack "normal" cells is a huge leap - outright impossible.
Thats like breeding a herbivoric dog after a dozen generations.

I don't think intelligence is the right word here. Unless of course when bacteria group into large enough colonies that with all the massive number of individual cells exchanging chemicals with one an other it creates some kind of weird semi-self aware hive mind that is capable of limited self-preservation.

I do not think "awareness" is the right word here. However, it is an excellent example to show what self-coordinating "hives" can do.
The term "intelligence" is not really correct, either. "Hive minds" like self-organisating bacteria or insects are not really "intelligent" - they are applying very effective brute-force solutions, but not an "intelligent" approach - " thinking" about a solution. Its similar to a chess computer - there are only X possible moves for each turn and x times y moves for the turns afterwards - thats easy to calculate. But computers have much more problems with Go, were "intelligent" thinking is required.

[Admiral Valdemar]

It is more apt to think of it in terms of a basic computer program more than any intelligence. A bacterium comes across a food source and releases a signalling chemical to get others in the colony to form on this new source of energy is simply following set commands dictated by biochemical interactions. They're just very complex ones, much like those that govern us. They can show some very ingenious solutions that would look like they came about by sentience/sapience, whereas it's merely a net result of various pathways being stimulated and kicked into action e.g. the aforementioned bio-film phenomena whereby any surface can be colonised by bacteria, who then increase their resistance to antibiotics, bleaches and so on by orders of magnitude by utilising cyclic di-guanosinmonophosphate (c-di-GMP) among other compounds. It's not like the bacteria went "Hey, let's stick here and become really stubborn to remove", it's just them selecting for a specific way of colonising.