Monitoring Bacterial Cell-to-Cell Communication “Quorum sensing” Using FLUOstar OPTIMA

Bacteria can monitor and respond to changes to environmental conditions via a cell density process known as quorum sensing. Bacteria use this process to monitor their community by producing, detecting and responding to low molecular mass signal molecules, called autoinducers. Effects on quorum sensing were investigated by measuring growth and bioluminescence of Vibrio fischeri. The FLUOstar OPTIMA was utilized to measure absorbance and luminescence in parallel.