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Bonnie Lynn Bassler (born 1962) is an American molecular biologist; the Squibb Professor in Molecular Biology and chair of the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University; and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.
Oct 24, 2013 · She elucidated the chemical language that bacteria use to communicate through a process called quorum sensing that allows bacteria to count their numbers, determine when they’ve reached a critical mass, and then change their behavior in unison to result in virulence or even bioluminescence.
- Ushma S. Neill
- 10.1172/JCI75027
- 2014
- J Clin Invest. 2014 Apr 1; 124(4): 1421-1422.
By contrast, in biochemistry and molecular biology courses I could use logic to solve puzzles, and I was thrilled by the wondrous, miniature building blocks that made life possible: DNA, RNA, and proteins. I changed my major to biochemistry and my Grade Point Average soared.
Bassler’s work on quorum sensing has revolutionized the field of microbiology. Not only has her research played a critical role in advancing our understanding of how the microbiome influences human health, her findings promise to lead to exciting new therapies for treating and preventing infectious diseases, including those that are ...
the young scientist. ‘‘I wanted to do something important, and bacteria were not something important,’’ Bassler says of her belief at the time. Contrary to her wishes, Troy put her to work characterizing an enzyme in E. coli, neuraminidase (2). The enzyme cleaves sugars from membrane glycopro-teins, alterations of which have been
Bassler’s achievements have earned her a MacArthur “genius” grant, membership in the National Academy of Sciences, and a prestigious appointment as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. Her TED talk has garnered more than two million views. But success has not come easily.
Apr 10, 2018 · Dr. Bonnie Bassler, also known as the “bacteria whisperer,” has for nearly three decades pursued her curiosity about the social lives of Earth's smallest living organisms.
