Duke University researchers show how microbes share information

In North Carolina, biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a microbial community phenomenon that essentially equates to teaching neighbors how to complete necessary tasks by ripping out and sharing parts of the brain.

The process allows microbiomes to keep themselves and their environments healthy and could help scientists create robust, bespoke microbial systems for applications ranging from cleaning toxins from the environment to producing biofuel and other consumer products. The research appears online September 1 in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.