This Review highlights how we can build upon the relatively new and rapidly developing field of research into bacterial quorum sensing (QS). We now have a depth of knowledge about how bacteria use QS signals to communicate with each other and to coordinate their activities. In recent years there have been extraordinary advances in our understanding of the genetics, genomics, biochemistry, and signal diversity of QS. We are beginning to understand the connections between QS and bacterial sociality. This foundation places us at the beginning of a new era in which researchers will be able to work towards new medicines to treat devastating infectious diseases, and use bacteria to understand the biology of sociality.

中文翻译：

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细菌群体感应研究的进展与前景

本评论重点介绍了我们如何在相对较新且快速发展的细菌群体感应 (QS) 研究领域进行开发。我们现在对细菌如何使用 QS 信号相互交流并协调它们的活动有了深入的了解。近年来，我们对 QS 的遗传学、基因组学、生物化学和信号多样性的理解取得了非凡的进展。我们开始了解 QS 与细菌社会性之间的联系。这一基础使我们进入了一个新时代的开始，在这个时代，研究人员将能够开发出治疗毁灭性传染病的新药，并使用细菌来了解社会性生物学。