Molecular tweeting: unveiling the social network behind heterogeneous bacteria populations

It is well established that bacteria engage in social behavior and form networked communities via molecular signaling. However, most studies published to date focus on the intracellular molecular networks rather than the intercellular networks formed across strains and species. Therefore, in this paper, we define for the first time a bacteria intercellular network and describe its dynamics and contribution to biofilm formation. We apply our methods to a heterogeneous bacteria population consisting of strains that are often identified from clinical isolates, namely, the wild-type (co-operator), and its signal-blind and signal-negative (cheater) mutants. We analyze the network dynamics and biofilm metrics, showing that our method can effectively reveal the underlying intercellular communication process and community organization within the biofilm. We claim that the application of social and network sciences to understanding bacteria population dynamics can aid in developing better drugs to control the many pathogenic bacteria that use social interactions to cause infections.