Awakening bacteria

1996/03/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biologia

Some microbiologists find that the bacteria expel a chemical to wake the person in the lethargy. According to researchers at the Universities of Wales and Moscow, this discovery can facilitate the fight against certain bacteria, including knowing how sleeping bacteria are activated in the human body and in food. Once detected, the diseases they cause and bacteria are expected to detect contaminated food more quickly than today.

When food is scarce, the bacteria shrink in size, thicken the cell walls and begin to incubate. The friend of the sleeping bacteria expels a protein called pheromone, which wakes up and both start looking for food. Researchers believe it is an important discovery. It seems that from now on lethargy to bacteria will end faster than desired, as the new alarm clock will be human.