Quorum sensing is a cell-to-cell communication system used by bacteria to coordinate gene expression in response to population density. This mechanism regulates various physiological processes, including virulence factor production, biofilm formation, and antibiotic resistance, making it a critical element in the pathogenesis of bacterial infections.
Quorum sensing (QS) represents a sophisticated communication strategy employed by bacteria to sense their population density and regulate collective behaviors. By producing and detecting small signaling molecules known as autoinducers, pathogens can activate genes involved in biofilm formation, toxin production, and immune evasion—key components of chronic and drug-resistant infections.
This session will delve into the molecular mechanisms of quorum sensing, its role in infection persistence and resistance, and explore therapeutic strategies targeting QS pathways to disarm pathogens without promoting resistance.
Key themes include:
- Molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways of quorum sensing
- Role of QS in virulence and host-pathogen interactions
- Quorum sensing in biofilm development and chronic infections
- QS-regulated resistance mechanisms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, etc.
- Anti-quorum sensing strategies and quorum quenching compounds
- Synthetic biology and AI in disrupting quorum sensing networks
- Clinical applications and drug development targeting QS pathways
- Impact of QS on polymicrobial infections and interspecies communication
This topic is of high interest to microbiologists, infectious disease researchers, drug developers, immunologists, and systems biologists focused on novel antimicrobial strategies.