Diplomacy Begins in the Bloodstream

Wired reports on the revelation that bacteria talk to each other and form highly complex societies that promote their own goals. The discovery, spearheaded by Bonnie Bassler of Princeton University, was heralded by scientific genius and Presidential candidate Bili Rubin as "a great step forward in human-microbe relations," since it will pave the way for the concept that bacteria currently thought of as dangerous and unredeemable can respond to negotiation. Bassler's research in the phenomenon of bacterial communication, known as quorum sensing, has opened up the possibility of non-violent methods of protecting humans from illness:

Quorum sensing has profound implications in the war against disease. With the Age of Antibiotics, we launched a brute force assault on pathogenic bacteria, emphasizing drugs that outright kill. This monolithic approach has brought what geneticists call maximum selective pressure to bear on pathogens. In essence, we have given a 50-year course in antibiotic resistance to an enemy that reproduces every 20 minutes. [Emphasis mine.] Bassler's research points to new ways of fighting disease that will aim not to kill but to scramble data in the bacterial network."

Bonnie Bassler is to be saluted for her research, which highlights the fact that "hit them with everything we've got" is not always the best way to deal with adversaries. Sometimes, a little conversation can go a long way.